🔗 Share this article Delap Returns as Chelsea Aim to Solve Attacking Problems Liam Delap found the net for Chelsea at the international tournament during the warm season Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea. The West London club were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "below standard". Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap returns in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in last month. Maresca said the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the summer signing's availability is vital for a club facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of winning a trophy this campaign. Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro Delap (left) and Joao Pedro signed for Chelsea this off-season for a combined £85m Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite attention from Manchester United, the Magpies and Everton. Yet the Three Lions prospect was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with valid cause. Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton. More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded". When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "Certainly the fitness aspect is important. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, particularly in this league." "Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times annually. 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 every season like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland." Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack Chelsea confront additional challenges apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought. Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until the winter. Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica. Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and a single assist - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George. Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each. Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last term, is still to score this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games. After thirteen games in every tournament no striker has above two scores, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals. Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last season." Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this term. Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken? Khalid Boulahrouz failed to score while bearing the nine shirt for Chelsea Some Chelsea supporters feel the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and footballers who donned it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games 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) - failed to score in sixteen matches Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games A midfielder and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine. But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition. "Ultimately it's a number on the back of your uniform. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."