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

The Blues lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in last month.

Maresca said the 22-year-old will be phased in "slowly", and the summer signing's return is crucial for a team facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of claiming silverware this campaign.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite attention from the Red Devils, the Magpies and the Toffees.

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

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".

When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Certainly the physical part is vital. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, especially in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea confront additional challenges apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until December.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and a single assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and a single assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last season, is yet to find the net this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his past two matches, but prior to that found the net just once in the first 10 games.

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

Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last term."

Maresca has found ways to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the first division this term.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea supporters think the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been vacant since 2023, and squad members 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) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
• 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 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances

A engine room operator and backline player are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.

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

"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a number that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."