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

The Blues were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "subpar".

Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.

Maresca said the young striker will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the summer signing's comeback is vital for a side facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of securing honors this term.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite attention from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and the Toffees.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".

When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "Certainly the conditioning element is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, particularly in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea confront additional challenges beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until the winter.

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

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and a single assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last season, is yet to find the net this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his last two games, but before that scored only once in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen games in every tournament no attacker has above two scores, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.

Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the five players at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last campaign."

Maresca has discovered methods to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this term.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea fans feel the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been available since recently, and players who sported it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches

A midfielder and backline player are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.

But Delap was unmoved when asked about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.

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