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Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea.

The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "not the best".

Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap is back available in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.

Maresca commented the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the recent acquisition's availability is important for a team facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of securing honors this season.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite interest from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and Everton.

Yet the young English striker was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazil striker scored another two and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".

When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the physical part is important. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, notably in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line

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

Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until next month.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and a single assist - matching youth product Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last campaign, is without a goal this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his last two games, but prior to that got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

After 13 matches in all competitions no forward has above two scores, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.

Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the front five at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last campaign."

Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans think the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and players who sported it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
• 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 goal in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances

A midfielder and defender are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated 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 digit that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."