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

The Blues lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap returns in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in August.

Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be phased in "gradually", and the summer signing's comeback is important for a side facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of securing honors this term.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite interest from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and Everton.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three assists in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".

When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Certainly the physical part is important. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, notably in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea confront broader problems beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until next month.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one setup - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last season, is yet to find the net this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his past two matches, but prior to that scored only once in the first 10 games.

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

Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last term."

Maresca has discovered methods to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this campaign.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea supporters feel the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and players who wore it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches

A central player and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.

"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."