🔗 Share this article Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Seek to Fix Striker Issues Liam Delap scored his only goal for Chelsea at the international tournament during summer Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a important period for Chelsea. The West London club were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "subpar". Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month. Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the recent acquisition's comeback is crucial for a club facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of claiming silverware this term. Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro Delap (on the left) and Joao Pedro arrived at Chelsea this summer for a aggregate £85m Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite attention from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Everton. Yet the young English striker was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with valid cause. Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazil striker scored another two and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton. More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully". When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Certainly the fitness aspect is important. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, notably in this competition." "Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the City striker." Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack Chelsea face wider issues beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought. Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until December. Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica. Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and one setup - equaling youth product Tyrique George. Forward Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece. Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this term. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games. After 13 matches in various cups no forward has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four. Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last term." Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this season. Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift? Khalid Boulahrouz failed to score while bearing the nine shirt for Chelsea Some Chelsea fans believe the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and players who wore it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances 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): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances A central player and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine. But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament. "In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."