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Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "below standard".

Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap returns in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having missed 10 games since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in August.

Maresca said the young striker will be phased in "gradually", and the recent acquisition's availability is important for a team facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of claiming silverware this term.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite attention from Manchester United, St James' Park side and the Toffees.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three goal contributions in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".

When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Certainly the physical part is important. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, particularly in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea deal with broader problems in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not expected return from a groin injury until the winter.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and a single assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last season, is without a goal this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but earlier got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

After 13 matches in every tournament no striker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.

Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last term."

Maresca has found ways to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this term.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea fans think the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been available since recently, and footballers who donned it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches

A engine room operator and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the curse. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.

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