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Forward Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "below standard".

Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and assists as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca commented the young striker will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the new recruit's availability is vital for a team facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of claiming silverware this season.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by the Red Devils, Newcastle United and Everton.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".

When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Definitely the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, especially in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea face broader problems in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

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

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and a single assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last season, is without a goal this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but earlier got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.

After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no striker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.

Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last term."

Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the top flight this campaign.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea supporters think the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been available since 2023, and players who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches
• 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) - one score in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances

A midfielder and defender are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unmoved when queried about the hoodoo. "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 digit that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."