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

The West London club were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "below standard".

Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in August.

Maresca commented the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the new recruit's return is vital for a club facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of securing honors this term.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite attention from Manchester United, St James' Park side and the Toffees.

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 good reason.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three setups in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.

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 midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Definitely the physical part is vital. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, notably in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward 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 different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense

Chelsea confront wider issues apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is not expected return from a lower body issue until next month.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one setup - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last term, is yet to find the net this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his past two matches, but earlier scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.

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

Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the front five at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last season."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this term.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans believe the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been available since recently, and players who sported it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches

A central player and backline player are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.

But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the curse. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup.

"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."