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Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea.

The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "subpar".

Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the recent acquisition's return is crucial for a club facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this term.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite attention from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Everton.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".

When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Certainly the physical part is vital. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, notably in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea deal with wider issues in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until the winter.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one setup - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last campaign, is still to score this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but prior to that scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.

After 13 matches in all competitions no striker has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.

Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."

Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the top flight this season.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea supporters think the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and squad members who donned it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games

A central player and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.

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

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