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

The West London club lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "below standard".

Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap returns in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in August.

Maresca said the young striker will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the new recruit's comeback is vital for a club facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of securing honors this campaign.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite interest from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and the Toffees.

Yet the young English striker was behind £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 won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, particularly in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea face broader problems beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not expected return from a groin problem until the winter.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one assist - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last term, is still to score this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his past two matches, but prior to that scored only once in the first 10 games.

After 13 matches in various cups no attacker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.

Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last campaign."

Maresca has found ways to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this term.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea followers feel the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been available since last year, and players who wore it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
• 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 nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
• 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) - one goal in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances

A engine room operator and backline player are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unfazed when queried about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.

"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a number that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."