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

The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "subpar".

Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca stated the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the new recruit's comeback is important for a side facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this season.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite attention from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and the Toffees.

Yet the young English striker was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".

When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Definitely the fitness aspect is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, especially in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea face additional challenges beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.

Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until next month.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit 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 fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and one assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last season, is still to score this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his last two games, but before that got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.

After 13 matches in every tournament no attacker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.

Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the front, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last term."

Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this season.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea fans feel the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been available since 2023, and squad members who wore it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
• 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 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches

A midfielder and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.

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

"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."