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Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.

The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "below standard".

Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in last month.

Maresca stated the emerging talent will be phased in "carefully", and the summer signing's comeback is important for a side facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of winning a trophy this season.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by the Red Devils, the Magpies and the Toffees.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, notably in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or [Erling] Haaland."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea face broader problems beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.

Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until next month.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since arriving 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 Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last campaign, is without a goal this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his past two matches, but before that got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.

After thirteen games in all competitions no forward has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.

Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last campaign."

Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea followers think the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been available since last year, and players who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals 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) - failed to score in sixteen matches
• 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 included in this group, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with nine on their back.

But Delap was unfazed when queried about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.

"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a number that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."