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Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea.

The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "subpar".

Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap is back available in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca commented the young striker will be phased in "slowly", and the summer signing's comeback is vital for a side facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite attention from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and the Toffees.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Brazil striker scored another two and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".

When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "For sure the physical part is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, especially in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea face additional challenges apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until the winter.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and a single assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and a single assist - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last campaign, is still to score this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his past two matches, but before that found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.

After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no attacker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.

Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last season."

Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this campaign.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea supporters think the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been vacant since recently, and footballers who wore it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances

A midfielder and defender are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition.

"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."