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Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "not the best".

Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in August.

Maresca stated the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the summer signing's comeback is vital for a club facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of winning a trophy this term.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite pursuit by Manchester United, the Magpies and Everton.

Yet the young English striker was below £55 million acquisition 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 USA. The Brazil striker scored another two and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, especially in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line

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

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

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and a single assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last season, is without a goal this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but earlier found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.

After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no forward has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.

Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the front five at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."

Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans feel the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been available since 2023, and squad members who sported it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
• 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 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches

A midfielder and backline player are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.

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

"Ultimately it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."