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

The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "subpar".

Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in last month.

Maresca stated the young striker will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the summer signing's availability is important for a side facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of claiming silverware this term.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Everton.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three setups 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 engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".

When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Definitely the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, notably in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea deal with additional challenges apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought.

Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is not expected return from a lower body issue until next month.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one setup - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last campaign, is yet to find the net this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but before that got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen games in every tournament no striker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.

Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."

Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the top flight this campaign.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea followers think the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been available since 2023, and players who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches

A engine room operator and defender are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.

But Delap was unmoved when queried about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.

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