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Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "subpar".

Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in last month.

Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be phased in "carefully", and the summer signing's availability is crucial for a club facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of securing honors this term.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and the Toffees.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".

When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, especially in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea confront wider issues in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is not expected return from a groin injury until the winter.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and one setup - matching academy forward Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last campaign, is yet to find the net this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his last two games, but earlier got only one goal in the first 10 games.

After 13 matches in every tournament no attacker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.

Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last season."

Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the top flight this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea supporters think the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been vacant since 2023, and players who sported it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games

A engine room operator and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.

But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the curse. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup.

"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."