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Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "below standard".

Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the new recruit's comeback is crucial for a club facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of claiming silverware this campaign.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite pursuit by Manchester United, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was below expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this global competition - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca stated 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 dip in form, Maresca commented: "Certainly the conditioning element is important. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, especially in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the City striker."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea confront wider issues beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.

Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until the winter.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one setup - matching youth product Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last season, is still to score this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that scored only once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no striker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.

Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last term."

Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this campaign.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea followers think the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been available since 2023, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games

A midfielder and backline player are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.

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