🔗 Share this article Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Striker Issues Liam Delap found the net for Chelsea at the international tournament during the summer months Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea. The Blues were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "not the best". Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in the summer. Maresca commented the young striker will be phased in "carefully", and the recent acquisition's return is important for a side facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of securing honors this term. Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro Delap (on the left) and Joao Pedro arrived at Chelsea this off-season for a aggregate £85m Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite attention from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and Everton. Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification. Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three assists in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls. More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded". When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "For sure the fitness aspect is important. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, notably in this division." "Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or [Erling] Haaland." Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack Chelsea confront broader problems apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought. Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not expected return from a groin problem until next month. Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score 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 just two strikes and one assist - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George. Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece. Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last term, is without a goal this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his past two matches, but earlier scored only once in the first 10 games. After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no attacker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four. Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last season." Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this term. Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift? Khalid Boulahrouz didn't find the net while wearing the number nine for Chelsea Some Chelsea supporters think the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and footballers who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances A central player and defender are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey. But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup. "Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a figure that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."