🔗 Share this article Delap Returns as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Forward Concerns Liam Delap found the net for Chelsea at the international tournament during summer Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea. The Blues lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "subpar". Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap returns in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August. Maresca said the young striker will be phased in "slowly", and the summer signing's comeback is important for a team facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of securing honors this season. Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro Delap (to the left) and Joao Pedro signed for Chelsea this summer transfer window for a combined £85m Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite attention from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Everton. Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause. Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls. More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed 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 "shielded". When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "For sure the physical part is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, especially in this division." "Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine." Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line Chelsea deal with additional challenges apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought. Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until the winter. Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica. Estevao Willian, eighteen, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and a single assist - equaling academy forward 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 season, is still to score this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his past two matches, but before that got only one goal in the first 10 games. After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no forward has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four. Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last term." Maresca has discovered methods to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this term. Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken? Khalid Boulahrouz didn't find the net while bearing the nine shirt for Chelsea Some Chelsea supporters feel the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and footballers who wore it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 games Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 appearances Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games A central player and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine. But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the curse. "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 digit that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."