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Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "subpar".

Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in last month.

Maresca said the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the recent acquisition's return is crucial for a club facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of winning a trophy this season.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Manchester United, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.

Yet the young English striker was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca commented: "Definitely the physical part is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, particularly in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the City striker."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea deal with broader problems apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.

Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until next month.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and one setup - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last season, is without a goal this season. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his past two matches, but earlier got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

After 13 matches in various cups no forward has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.

Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last term."

Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this term.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea fans feel the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been vacant since recently, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games
• 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 seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches

A central player and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.

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

"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."