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Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a important period for Chelsea.

The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his team's delivery being "not the best".

Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.

Maresca said the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the recent acquisition's availability is crucial for a club facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of winning a trophy this season.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite pursuit by the Red Devils, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this global competition - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "For sure the fitness aspect is important. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, especially in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or [Erling] Haaland."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack

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

Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not expected return from a groin injury until next month.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and a single assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last season, is without a goal this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his past two matches, but earlier got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

After thirteen games in all competitions no forward has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.

Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last term."

Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this season.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea followers think the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been vacant since last year, and players who wore it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances

A midfielder and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with nine on their back.

But Delap was unfazed when asked about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.

"In the final analysis 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 like and there's no added burden."