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Forward Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.

The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "not the best".

Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in last month.

Maresca said the young striker will be phased in "slowly", and the summer signing's availability is crucial for a team facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite interest from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and Everton.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three assists in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".

When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Certainly the fitness aspect is important. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, especially in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea confront broader problems beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until the winter.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one assist - matching youth product Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last season, is without a goal this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that scored only once in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no attacker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.

Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last season."

Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this term.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea followers think the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and footballers who donned it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches

A midfielder and backline player are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.

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

"Ultimately it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a number that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."