🔗 Share this article

Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.

The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his team's delivery being "subpar".

Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in August.

Maresca said the emerging talent will be phased in "carefully", and the new recruit's availability is important for a team facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of securing honors this campaign.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite attention from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and the Toffees.

Yet the young English striker was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.

Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca commented: "Definitely the conditioning element is important. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, notably in this league."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland."

Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea confront wider issues in addition to their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.

Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until the winter.

Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and a single assist - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.

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

Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last season, is still to score this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his past two matches, but earlier scored only once in the first 10 games.

After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no attacker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.

Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the attack, 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 for free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this term.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea fans think the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been available since 2023, and players who donned it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances

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

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

"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your uniform. It's just a figure that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."