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Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.

The West London club were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and assists as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in August.

Maresca said the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the new recruit's comeback is important for a team facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Manchester United, St James' Park side and the Toffees.

Yet the young English striker was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.

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 goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".

When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Definitely the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, especially in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the City striker."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea confront wider issues in addition to their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is not expected return from a groin injury until next month.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.

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

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last term, is yet to find the net this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his last two games, but prior to that found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.

After thirteen games in all competitions no forward has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.

Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the five players at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."

Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this season.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea followers think the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and squad members who donned it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
• 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) - no goals in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches

A engine room operator and backline player are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.

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

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