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Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "subpar".

Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in August.

Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be phased in "carefully", and the new recruit's availability is vital for a club facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this term.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by the Red Devils, the Magpies and Everton.

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

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".

When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Certainly the conditioning element is important. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, particularly in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea deal with broader problems beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is not expected return from a groin problem until the winter.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and one setup - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last campaign, is without a goal this term. Attacking player 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 13 matches in every tournament no striker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.

Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, 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 runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans believe the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been available since last year, and squad members who wore it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
• 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) - zero strikes in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games

A central player and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.

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

"At the end of the day it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I like and there's zero expectation."