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Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Blues lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "below standard".

Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.

Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the summer signing's availability is crucial for a club facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of claiming silverware this season.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite attention from Manchester United, St James' Park side and Everton.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this global competition - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.

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

When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca commented: "Certainly the physical part is important. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, notably in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea confront wider issues in addition to their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.

Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until the winter.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and one setup - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last term, is without a goal this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but earlier got only one goal in the first 10 games.

After thirteen fixtures in various cups no forward has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.

Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."

Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this campaign.

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 available since 2023, and players who sported it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches

A midfielder and defender are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup.

"In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."