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Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.

The West London club were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "a lack of creativity" and his team's delivery being "subpar".

Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (prime time), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in August.

Maresca stated the young striker will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the summer signing's comeback is important for a team facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of claiming silverware this term.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

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

Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three setups in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "For sure the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, especially in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea face broader problems apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

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

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and a single assist - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.

Forward Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last season, is without a goal this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but earlier scored only once in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen games in every tournament no attacker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.

Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the front, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last season."

Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this season.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea fans think the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and squad members who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

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

A engine room operator and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.

But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.

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