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

The Blues were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "not the best".

Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap returns in the League Cup against struggling 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 stated the young striker will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the summer signing's comeback is vital for a team facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of securing honors this term.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite attention from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Everton.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazil striker scored another two and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.

More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".

When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the physical part is crucial. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, especially in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea face additional challenges apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not expected return from a groin problem until next month.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and one setup - matching academy forward Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last season, is yet to find the net this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his last two games, but prior to that found the net just once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen games in various cups no attacker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.

Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last term."

Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea fans believe the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been vacant since 2023, and footballers who sported it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games

A central player and backline player are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.

But Delap was unfazed when queried about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.

"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."