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

The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "a lack of creativity" and his team's delivery being "subpar".

Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and assists as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in last month.

Maresca commented the young striker will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the recent acquisition's return is important for a side facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of securing honors this campaign.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite interest from the Red Devils, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.

Yet the young English striker was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored 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 currently need to be "protected".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "For sure the conditioning element is vital. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, especially in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and create chances but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea deal with additional challenges beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until next month.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last season, is without a goal this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but earlier found the net just once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no attacker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.

Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last season."

Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this campaign.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea supporters believe the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been available since last year, and squad members who wore it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
• 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 games
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games

A central player and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.

But Delap was unfazed when queried about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.

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