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

The West London club were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "below standard".

Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca commented the young striker will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the recent acquisition's return is important for a side facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite attention from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.

Yet the young English striker was second to expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored 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 currently need to be "handled carefully".

When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "For sure the fitness aspect is crucial. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, notably in this division."

"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 get goals and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea face broader problems beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.

Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until next month.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one setup - matching academy forward Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last season, is without a goal this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his last two games, but earlier scored only once in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no attacker has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four.

Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last season."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this term.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans feel the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been vacant since 2023, and footballers who sported it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:

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

A central player and defender are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.

But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.

"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a number that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."