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Forward Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "below standard".

Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be phased in "gradually", and the recent acquisition's availability is important for a side facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of claiming silverware this campaign.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Manchester United, the Magpies and the Toffees.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three assists in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".

When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "For sure the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, particularly in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea face additional challenges in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until the winter.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and one setup - matching youth product Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last term, is without a goal this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but before that got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

After 13 matches in every tournament no striker has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.

Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the five players at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last campaign."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this term.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea followers believe the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been vacant since last year, and players who sported it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances

A engine room operator and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.

But Delap was unmoved when queried about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.

"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your shirt. It's just a number that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."