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Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca commented the young striker will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the new recruit's comeback is vital for a club facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this term.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite attention from Manchester United, the Magpies and the Toffees.

Yet the young English striker was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".

When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "For sure the physical part is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, particularly in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea deal with wider issues in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought.

Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not expected return from a lower body issue until December.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and a single assist - matching youth product Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last campaign, is still to score this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his last two games, but before that got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen fixtures in various cups no attacker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.

Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last term."

Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this season.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea followers believe the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been vacant since recently, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games

A central player and defender are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.

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

"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a number that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."