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Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea.

The Blues lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "below standard".

Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca said the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the new recruit's return is vital for a team facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of winning a trophy this season.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite attention from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and Everton.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".

When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "For sure the conditioning element is vital. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, notably in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea face broader problems in addition to their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is not expected return from a lower body issue until next month.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and a single assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but before that got only one goal in the first 10 games.

After 13 matches in various cups no forward has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.

Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last campaign."

Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the first division this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans feel the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been vacant since recently, and players who sported it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
• 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) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games

A midfielder and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx 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 asked about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.

"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a number that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I like and there's zero expectation."