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Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Blues lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his team's delivery being "subpar".

Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap returns in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in August.

Maresca said the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the recent acquisition's return is important for a club facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of winning a trophy this season.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by the Red Devils, Newcastle United and Everton.

Yet the young English striker was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".

When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Certainly the physical part is important. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, notably in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the City striker."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea deal with additional challenges in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought.

Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until December.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George.

Forward Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his past two matches, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games.

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

Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last season."

Maresca has discovered methods to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this season.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea fans think the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been available since 2023, and players who wore it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores 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) - a single strike in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances

A midfielder and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.

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

"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."