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Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.

The West London club were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "subpar".

Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.

Maresca commented the emerging talent will be phased in "gradually", and the summer signing's return is crucial for a team facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of securing honors this term.

Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro

Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite attention from Manchester United, 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 registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.

More of late, 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 queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Definitely the conditioning element is important. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, notably in this division."

"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or [Erling] Haaland."

Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack

Chelsea face broader problems beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.

Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is not expected return from a lower body issue until December.

Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one goal contribution in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.

Estevao Willian, eighteen, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and a single assist - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.

Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.

Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last term, is yet to find the net this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his last two games, but before that scored only once in the first 10 games.

After 13 matches in all competitions no forward has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.

Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the five players at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last campaign."

Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the first division this term.

Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?

Some Chelsea supporters think the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been available since recently, and footballers who donned 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 58 appearances
• Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
• Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
• 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): 45 goals in 172 games
• Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
• Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
• Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games

A engine room operator and backline player are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.

But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition.

"Ultimately it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a digit that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I like and there's zero expectation."