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

The Blues were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "subpar".

Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap returns in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in August.

Maresca said the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the summer signing's comeback is vital for a side facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of securing honors this campaign.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite interest from Manchester United, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Brazil striker scored another two and three assists in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".

When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "For sure the fitness aspect is crucial. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, notably in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the City striker."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea face additional challenges apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until the winter.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and one setup - matching academy forward Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last term, is without a goal this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his last two games, but before that found the net just once in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen games in every tournament no striker has above two scores, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.

Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."

Maresca has found ways to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea supporters feel the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been available since last year, and players who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

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

A midfielder and defender are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.

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

"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a number that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."