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Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.

The West London club were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap returns in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.

Maresca said the young striker will be phased in "slowly", and the summer signing's availability is vital for a side facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and the Toffees.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this global competition - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".

When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca commented: "Definitely the conditioning element is important. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, particularly in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea confront broader problems apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until December.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one assist - matching youth product Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last term, is yet to find the net this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his past two matches, but earlier scored only once in the opening ten matches.

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

Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last season."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this season.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea supporters feel the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and players who donned it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores 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 goal in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances

A midfielder and backline player are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.

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