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

The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "subpar".

Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in August.

Maresca stated the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the recent acquisition's return is vital for a team facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite attention from Manchester United, the Magpies and the Toffees.

Yet the young English striker was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three setups in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Certainly the physical part is vital. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, notably in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea face broader problems apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.

Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is not expected return from a lower body issue until next month.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score 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 arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one assist - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last campaign, is without a goal this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his past two matches, but prior to that got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.

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

Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last campaign."

Maresca has found ways to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this term.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea supporters think the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been vacant since recently, and players who sported it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances

A engine room operator and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unmoved when asked about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.

"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."