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Striker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The Blues lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "not the best".

Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (prime time), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.

Maresca said the emerging talent will be phased in "gradually", and the new recruit's return is crucial for a team facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this term.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite attention from Manchester United, Newcastle United and the Toffees.

Yet the young English striker was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "For sure the fitness aspect is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, particularly in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the City striker."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea deal with broader problems in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought.

Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until December.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and a single assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.

Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last season, is yet to find the net this term. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his last two games, but prior to that got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.

After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no striker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.

Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last campaign."

Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this season.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea supporters feel the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals 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 iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.

But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the hoodoo. "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 kit. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."