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Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "subpar".

Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and assists as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in August.

Maresca commented the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the recent acquisition's availability is crucial for a team facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this season.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite attention from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and the Toffees.

Yet the young English striker was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three goal contributions in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully".

When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the fitness aspect is important. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, particularly in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea confront broader problems beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until next month.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and a single assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last term, is yet to find the net this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his last two games, but earlier got only one goal in the first 10 games.

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

Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the five players at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last season."

Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side 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 supporters feel the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and footballers who donned it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games

A engine room operator and backline player are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.

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

"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."