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Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Blues were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "subpar".

Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.

Maresca said the 22-year-old will be phased in "slowly", and the recent acquisition's return is vital for a side facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this term.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Manchester United, Newcastle United and the Toffees.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was below expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".

When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Definitely the conditioning element is important. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, particularly in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea face broader problems apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is not expected return from a groin problem until next month.

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

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and a single assist - matching youth product Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last season, is yet to find the net this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his past two matches, but earlier got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

After 13 matches in various cups no attacker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.

Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last season."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans believe the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been vacant since 2023, and squad members who donned it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes 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 backline player are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.

But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the curse. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.

"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."