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Striker Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.

The West London club lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "not the best".

Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.

Maresca said the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the recent acquisition's availability is vital for a team facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this term.

Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro

Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite interest from Manchester United, St James' Park side and Everton.

Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with solid justification.

Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".

When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the physical part is important. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, especially in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea confront additional challenges apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.

Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until the winter.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and one setup - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.

Forward Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last season, is still to score this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but before that scored only once in the first 10 games.

After 13 matches in various cups no striker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.

Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last season."

Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this campaign.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea supporters think the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been available since recently, and squad members who sported it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances

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

But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.

"In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."