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

The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "below standard".

Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap is back available in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca stated the emerging talent will be phased in "slowly", and the recent acquisition's return is crucial for a side facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of securing honors this season.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Manchester United, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.

Yet the young English striker was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three setups in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "For sure the conditioning element is vital. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, notably in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

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

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

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last season, is still to score this term. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his past two matches, but prior to that scored only once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no forward has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.

Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last season."

Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this term.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea followers believe the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and players who sported it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games

A engine room operator and backline player 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 unconcerned when questioned about the curse. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition.

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