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Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "below standard".

Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca commented the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the summer signing's availability is vital for a club facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of securing honors this term.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite attention from Manchester United, St James' Park side and the Toffees.

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

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Brazil striker scored another two and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. 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 physical part is crucial. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, especially in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, 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 every season like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea confront broader problems in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until December.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and a single assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last season, is yet to find the net this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his past two matches, but earlier scored only once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen games in all competitions no forward has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.

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

Maresca has found ways to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this campaign.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea fans think the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been vacant since recently, and players who donned it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games

A engine room operator and defender are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with nine on their back.

But Delap was unmoved when queried about the curse. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.

"At the end of the day 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."