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Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

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

Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca said the young striker will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the summer signing's availability is crucial for a side facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of claiming silverware this season.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite pursuit by the Red Devils, 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 recent international tournament - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully".

When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Certainly the physical part is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, particularly in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the City striker."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea deal with additional challenges apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until next month.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and one assist - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last term, is still to score this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his last two games, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no forward has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.

Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last season."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea supporters believe the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and players who wore it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches

A midfielder and backline player are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.

But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.

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