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

The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "subpar".

Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in August.

Maresca commented the young striker will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the summer signing's availability is important for a club facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of claiming silverware this term.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Manchester United, St James' Park side and the Toffees.

Yet the young English striker was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".

When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Definitely the fitness aspect is important. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, notably in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the City striker."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea confront wider issues in addition to their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until next month.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and a single assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last term, is yet to find the net this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no forward has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.

Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last season."

Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this season.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea supporters feel the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been available since 2023, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances

A midfielder and backline player are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.

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

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