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Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "below standard".

Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca said the emerging talent will be phased in "gradually", and the recent acquisition's comeback is vital for a club facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of claiming silverware this season.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by the Red Devils, the Magpies and Everton.

Yet the young English striker was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".

When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Certainly the physical part is important. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, especially in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea deal with wider issues apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

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

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one setup - matching youth product Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last campaign, is still to score this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that got only one goal in the first 10 games.

After 13 matches in every tournament no attacker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four.

Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last season."

Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea followers believe the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been vacant since recently, and players who sported it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances

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

But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup.

"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."