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Forward Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.

The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "not the best".

Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in last month.

Maresca said the emerging talent will be phased in "slowly", and the recent acquisition's availability is important for a club facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite interest from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and the Toffees.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".

When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, especially in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and create chances 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."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea face wider issues beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until the winter.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last campaign, is without a goal this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games.

After 13 matches 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 goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last season."

Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this campaign.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea followers believe the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been available since last year, and players who sported it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches

A central player and defender are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with nine on their back.

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

"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a number that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."