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Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "subpar".

Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca said the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the new recruit's availability is crucial for a side facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope 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 Everton.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".

When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Certainly the conditioning element is important. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, particularly in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea deal with wider issues apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought.

Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until next month.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

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

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last campaign, is still to score this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that found the net just once in the opening ten matches.

After 13 matches in various cups no attacker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.

Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last term."

Maresca has discovered methods to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this campaign.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea followers believe the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been vacant since recently, and players who sported it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, 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 scores in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games

A central player and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.

"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."