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Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap returns in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.

Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the new recruit's comeback is vital for a team facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of securing honors this season.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, the Magpies and the Toffees.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score 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 "protected".

When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not at peak condition 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 excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the City striker."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea confront wider issues beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is not expected return from a groin injury until next month.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one setup - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last season, is still to score this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his last two games, but earlier found the net just once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen fixtures in various cups no striker has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.

Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last season."

Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the first division this season.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea followers think the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been vacant since recently, and players who sported it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
• 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) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances

A midfielder and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.

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

"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."