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Forward Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.

The West London club were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "subpar".

Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and assists as Delap returns in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in August.

Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be phased in "carefully", and the recent acquisition's availability is crucial for a side facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of securing honors this season.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite pursuit by Manchester United, the Magpies and the Toffees.

Yet the young English striker was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".

When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "Definitely the physical part is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, notably in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the City striker."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea face wider issues apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is not expected return from a groin injury until the winter.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one setup - equaling youth product Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but earlier got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.

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

Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last term."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea followers feel the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been available since recently, and players who donned it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike 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 contend Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.

But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.

"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a figure that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I like and there's zero expectation."