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Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea.

The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against bottom-half 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 said the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the summer signing's availability is vital for a club facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of winning a trophy this campaign.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Manchester United, the Magpies and the Toffees.

Yet the young English striker was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.

More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - 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 remarked: "Definitely the physical part is vital. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, particularly in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."

Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea face broader problems beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is not expected return from a groin problem until December.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one setup - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last campaign, is still to score this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his last two games, but earlier scored only once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen games in various cups no striker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.

Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers 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 free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the first division this season.

Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?

Some Chelsea fans think the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been vacant 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 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 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches

A central player and backline player are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.

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

"In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a number that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."