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Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "not the best".

Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca said the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the summer signing's comeback is vital for a side facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of securing honors this season.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite attention from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.

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

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three goal contributions in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".

When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, particularly in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the City striker."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack

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

Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not expected return from a lower body issue until December.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one setup - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last term, is still to score this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but earlier got only one goal in the first 10 games.

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

Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last term."

Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this term.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans feel the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and players who wore it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals 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) - no goals in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches

A midfielder and backline player are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.

But Delap was unmoved when queried about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup.

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