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Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

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

Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.

Maresca commented the young striker will be phased in "slowly", and the new recruit's availability is important for a team facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite attention from Manchester United, St James' Park side and Everton.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Seleção attacker 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 said he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".

When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Certainly the fitness aspect is important. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, particularly in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea confront broader problems apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until December.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and one assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his past two matches, but before that scored only once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen fixtures in various cups no striker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.

Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."

Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this season.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans think the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been available since 2023, and squad members who donned it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches

A central player and defender are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unfazed when asked about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.

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