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

The West London club were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "below standard".

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

Maresca said the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the summer signing's availability is vital for a side facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this term.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite attention from the Red Devils, the Magpies and the Toffees.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazil striker scored another two and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed 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 dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is important. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, especially in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the City striker."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea confront broader problems in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until the winter.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores 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 defensive position last campaign, is without a goal this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his past two matches, but before that got only one goal in the first 10 games.

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 goals.

Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last campaign."

Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this season.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea supporters feel the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been available since last year, and squad members who donned it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games

A engine room operator and backline player are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.

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

"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a number that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."