🔗 Share this article Delap Returns as Stamford Bridge Side Look to Address Forward Concerns Liam Delap registered his sole strike for Chelsea at the Club World Cup during summer Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea. The West London club lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "below standard". Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in August. Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the summer signing's availability is vital for a side facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of claiming silverware this campaign. Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro Delap (to the left) and Joao Pedro signed for Chelsea this summer for a aggregate £85m Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite attention from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and Everton. Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with good reason. Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton. More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded". When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Certainly the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, notably in this league." "Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to score and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the City striker." Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack Chelsea confront wider issues in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak. Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until December. Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and a single assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica. Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and a single assist - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George. Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each. Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last season, is without a goal this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that scored only once in the opening ten matches. After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no striker has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals. Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last campaign." Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this term. Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End? Khalid Boulahrouz failed to score while sporting the number nine for Chelsea Some Chelsea supporters feel the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 games Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances A midfielder and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with nine on their back. But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition. "In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your shirt. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."