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Striker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "subpar".

Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca said the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the new recruit's availability is important for a club facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of winning a trophy this term.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite interest from Manchester United, the Magpies and Everton.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this global competition - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazil striker scored another two and three setups in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "For sure the conditioning element is important. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, particularly in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times annually. 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 each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea confront broader problems apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is not expected return from a groin problem until December.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one assist - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last term, is yet to find the net this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but earlier scored only once in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen games in every tournament no forward has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.

Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this season.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea supporters think the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and squad members who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games

A midfielder and backline player are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unfazed when queried about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.

"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."