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Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The West London club lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "not the best".

Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in last month.

Maresca commented the young striker will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the recent acquisition's comeback is vital for a club facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of securing honors this term.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in 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 behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".

When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "For sure the physical part is important. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, particularly in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea deal with broader problems apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until December.

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

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and a single assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last season, is still to score this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his last two games, but earlier got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

After 13 matches in every tournament no striker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.

Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last term."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this term.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea followers think the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
• 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 scores in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches

A engine room operator and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.

But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.

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