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Forward Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium 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 assists as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in last month.

Maresca commented the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the summer signing's return is crucial for a side facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite interest from the Red Devils, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".

When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Definitely the fitness aspect is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, especially in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea deal with additional challenges in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.

Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until December.

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

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and a single assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last campaign, is without a goal this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two assists in his last two games, but prior to that got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen games in various cups no attacker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.

Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last term."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this term.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea fans feel the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been available since recently, and squad members who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances

A midfielder and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.

But Delap was unmoved when queried about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition.

"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."