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Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.

The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "not the best".

Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and assists as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.

Maresca commented the young striker will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the new recruit's return is important for a club facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this season.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by the Red Devils, the Magpies and Goodison Park team.

Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.

Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.

More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca said 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 "protected".

When questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "For sure the physical part is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, particularly in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the City striker."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line

Chelsea deal with wider issues in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until the winter.

Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one assist - matching youth product Tyrique George.

Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last campaign, is still to score this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his past two matches, but prior to that got only one goal in the first 10 games.

After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no striker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.

Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the five players at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last term."

Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this season.

Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?

Some Chelsea supporters feel the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been available since last year, and footballers who sported it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
• Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
• Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
• Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
• Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games

A midfielder and backline player are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.

But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.

"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a number that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."