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Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a important period for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "below standard".

Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in last month.

Maresca commented the young striker will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the new recruit's availability is vital 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 Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite attention from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and the Toffees.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Definitely the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, especially in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea deal with wider issues apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until December.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that found the net just once in the opening ten matches.

After 13 matches in all competitions no attacker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.

Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last term."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this season.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea supporters believe the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been available since 2023, and footballers who sported it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances

A midfielder and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.

But Delap was unconcerned when asked about the curse. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.

"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."