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Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "not the best".

Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.

Maresca commented the young striker will be phased in "carefully", and the summer signing's return is important for a side facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this term.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite interest from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side 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 solid justification.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".

When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the conditioning element is vital. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, notably in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. 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 each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense

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

Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until next month.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and one setup - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his last two games, but before that got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.

After thirteen games in various cups no attacker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.

Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last term."

Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this season.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea followers think the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been vacant since last year, and players who donned it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

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

A engine room operator and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.

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

"Ultimately 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 enjoy and there's zero expectation."