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Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.

The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "not the best".

Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap returns in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in August.

Maresca said the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the recent acquisition's availability is important for a team facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of securing honors this term.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite interest from Manchester United, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".

When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "For sure the conditioning element is important. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, particularly in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the City striker."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea confront additional challenges in addition to their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.

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

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

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and one setup - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last term, is yet to find the net this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that found the net just once in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen games in every tournament no attacker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.

Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the front five at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last term."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the top flight this term.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea supporters believe 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 goals in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games

A central player and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.

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

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