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

The West London club lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "subpar".

Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap is back available in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in last month.

Maresca stated the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the new recruit's comeback is crucial for a team facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite interest from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and the Toffees.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after joining 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 presently require to be "shielded".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Definitely the fitness aspect is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, particularly in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea face additional challenges in addition to their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.

Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not expected return from a groin injury until the winter.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.

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

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last campaign, is yet to find the net this season. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but earlier got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

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

Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last term."

Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this campaign.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea supporters feel the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and players who sported it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
• 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) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games

A engine room operator and defender are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.

But Delap was unmoved when asked about the curse. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.

"At the end of the day it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a number that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."