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

The Blues were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "below standard".

Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca commented the emerging talent will be phased in "slowly", and the recent acquisition's return is important for a club facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of securing honors this term.

Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite attention from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and the Toffees.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three goal contributions in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the fitness aspect is important. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, especially in this competition."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or the City striker."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense

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

Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until December.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and one assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last season, is yet to find the net this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but before that got only one goal in the opening ten matches.

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

Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last campaign."

Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this season.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea fans think the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been available since 2023, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 appearances
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games

A engine room operator and defender are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the curse. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition.

"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a number that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I like and there's zero expectation."