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Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.

The West London club were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his team's delivery being "not the best".

Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in last month.

Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the summer signing's return is crucial for a team facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and the Toffees.

Yet the young English striker was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".

When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "For sure the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, particularly in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the City striker."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea face wider issues in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought.

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

Wide player 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 £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

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

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

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last season, is yet to find the net this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his last two games, but prior to that got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.

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

Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last season."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans think the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been available since 2023, and footballers who donned it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games

A central player and defender are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.

"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."