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Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Blues were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "subpar".

Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap returns in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in last month.

Maresca said the young striker will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the recent acquisition's return is crucial for a team facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this term.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by the Red Devils, St James' Park side and the Toffees.

Yet the young English striker was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".

When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Definitely the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, particularly in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or [Erling] Haaland."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea deal with additional challenges beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is not expected return from a groin injury until next month.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one setup - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last campaign, is still to score this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but earlier found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.

After 13 matches in various cups no forward has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.

Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the front, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last season."

Maresca has discovered methods to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this term.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea followers feel the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and footballers who donned it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances

A midfielder and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.

But Delap was unfazed when asked about the curse. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.

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