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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 suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "not the best".

Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in last month.

Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the summer signing's comeback is important for a team facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this season.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by the Red Devils, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".

When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "Certainly the physical part is important. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, particularly in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea deal with broader problems apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until the winter.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one assist - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last campaign, is still to score this season. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two assists in his last two games, but earlier scored only once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen fixtures in various cups no attacker has above two scores, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four.

Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last term."

Maresca has found ways to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this term.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans believe the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been vacant since last year, and players who wore it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games

A midfielder and defender are part of this selection, and some would argue 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 unfazed when questioned about the curse. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.

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