🔗 Share this article Delap Back in Action as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Striker Issues Liam Delap found the net for Chelsea at the international tournament during the summer months Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea. The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "below standard". Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap is back available in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in the summer. Maresca commented the young striker will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the summer signing's availability is important for a club facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of claiming silverware this campaign. Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro Delap (to the left) and Joao Pedro joined Chelsea this summer transfer window for a combined £85m Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite interest from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team. Yet the young English striker was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this global competition - and with solid justification. Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls. More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully". When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Definitely the physical part is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, notably in this competition." "Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine." Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense Chelsea deal with broader problems in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak. Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not expected return from a lower body issue until next month. Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica. Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and a single assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George. Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each. Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last season, is without a goal this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his last two games, but prior to that got only one goal in the opening ten matches. After thirteen games in every tournament no attacker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes. Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last campaign." Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this campaign. Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift? Khalid Boulahrouz was goalless while bearing the nine shirt for Chelsea Some Chelsea supporters believe the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been available since last year, and players who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes 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): 45 scores in 172 games Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games A engine room operator and defender are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back. But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup. "Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I like and there's zero expectation."