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

The West London club lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in last month.

Maresca stated the young striker will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the summer signing's availability is vital for a club facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of securing honors this term.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite attention from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Everton.

Yet the young English striker was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazil striker scored another two and three goal contributions in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".

When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca commented: "Definitely the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, notably in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea face wider issues in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until the winter.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one assist - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this season. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his past two matches, but prior to that scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.

After thirteen games in various cups no attacker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.

Queried 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 season."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this season.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea supporters think the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and players who donned it since the mid-2000s 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 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances

A central player and backline player are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.

But Delap was unmoved when queried about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup.

"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a figure that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."