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Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.

The West London club lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "below standard".

Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca stated the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the new recruit's return is crucial for a team facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this campaign.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite interest from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".

When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "For sure the physical part is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, particularly in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea deal with broader problems beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until December.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and one setup - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last term, is yet to find the net this term. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but earlier scored only once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen fixtures in various cups no attacker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four.

Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last season."

Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the first division this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans feel the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and players who wore it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances

A engine room operator and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.

But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition.

"In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."