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Striker 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 their home ground on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "below standard".

Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca said the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the recent acquisition's comeback is important for a side facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of claiming silverware this campaign.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite interest from the Red Devils, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazilian forward scored another two 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 past seven matches. 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 "handled carefully".

When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Definitely the conditioning element is important. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, especially in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line

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

Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until next month.

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

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one setup - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last term, is still to score this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his last two games, but earlier scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.

After thirteen games in all competitions no attacker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.

Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the five players at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last campaign."

Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this season.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea supporters think the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been vacant since last year, and footballers who sported it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches

A central player and defender are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.

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

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