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Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.

The West London club lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "not the best".

Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (prime time), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be phased in "carefully", and the summer signing's return is crucial for a side facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite interest from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and the Toffees.

Yet the young English striker was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully".

When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, especially in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times each year. 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 annually like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea deal with additional challenges beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought.

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

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and one assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last season, is without a goal this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.

After thirteen games in all competitions no striker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.

Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last season."

Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea supporters think the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been available since last year, and players who donned it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
• 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 scores in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games

A engine room operator and backline player are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unfazed when asked about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.

"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a number that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."