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Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the success 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 team facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of securing honors this campaign.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite attention from Manchester United, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £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 claimed the first edition in the United States. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three setups in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.

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

When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, particularly in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea confront wider issues apart from their attackers 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 December.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last term, is still to score this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his last two games, but prior to that got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen fixtures in various cups no striker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.

Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last season."

Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this term.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea fans think the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been vacant since last year, and players who wore it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal 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 lifted the hoodoo with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.

But Delap was unfazed when queried 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 figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a number that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."