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Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "not the best".

Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.

Maresca said the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the new recruit's availability is crucial for a side facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of claiming silverware this term.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite interest from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.

Yet the young English striker was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three setups in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, especially in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea face additional challenges apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until next month.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one goal contribution 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, eighteen, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and one assist - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last term, is still to score this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games.

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

Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the front five at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last term."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this season.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea followers feel the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been vacant since last year, and squad members who sported it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances

A midfielder and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.

But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.

"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."