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Forward Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.

The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "subpar".

Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap is back available in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in August.

Maresca stated the young striker will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the summer signing's comeback is vital for a club facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of securing honors this term.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite interest from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and the Toffees.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was below expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three setups in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "For sure the fitness aspect is crucial. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, especially in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times annually. Joao's a fantastic player, 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 every season like the Polish striker, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea face wider issues apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought.

Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until the winter.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and a single assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last campaign, is without a goal this season. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his last two games, but before that found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.

After thirteen games in all competitions no striker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.

Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last season."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this season.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea supporters believe the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been available since last year, and squad members who sported it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 games
• 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 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances

A engine room operator and backline player are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unmoved when asked about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.

"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."