🔗 Share this article Delap Returns as The Blues Seek to Fix Striker Issues Liam Delap scored his only goal for Chelsea at the international tournament during summer Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea. The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "not the best". Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in the summer. Maresca said the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the summer signing's return is crucial for a side facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this season. Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro Delap (to the left) and Joao Pedro joined Chelsea this off-season for a aggregate £85m Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite interest from Manchester United, Newcastle United and the Toffees. Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification. Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three setups in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls. More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected". When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "For sure the physical part is vital. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, especially in this competition." "Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the City striker." Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line Chelsea face wider issues beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak. Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games 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 fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica. Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one setup - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George. Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each. Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last campaign, is still to score this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but before that got only one goal in the first 10 games. After thirteen games in every tournament no forward has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals. Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last season." Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this campaign. Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken? Khalid Boulahrouz didn't find the net while wearing the number nine for Chelsea Some Chelsea followers think the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been vacant since 2023, and footballers who sported it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches A midfielder and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine. But Delap was unfazed when queried about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament. "In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."