🔗 Share this article Delap Returns as The Blues Aim to Solve Attacking Problems Liam Delap found the net for Chelsea at the international tournament during summer Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea. The Blues lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "subpar". Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in the summer. Maresca said the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the new recruit's comeback is important for a team facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of securing honors this campaign. Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro Delap (to the left) and Joao Pedro arrived at Chelsea this summer transfer window for a total £85 million Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite attention from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Goodison Park team. Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with solid justification. Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton. More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully". When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the physical part is important. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, particularly in this division." "Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine." Broader Issues in Chelsea's Forward Line Chelsea face wider issues beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak. Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until the winter. Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica. Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and one setup - equaling youth product Tyrique George. Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each. Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last campaign, is yet to find the net this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his last two games, but prior to that found the net just once in the opening ten matches. 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 strikes. Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the front five at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last campaign." Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this term. Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End? Khalid Boulahrouz failed to score while sporting the number nine for Chelsea Some Chelsea fans think the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been available since last year, and footballers who sported 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 goals in 82 appearances Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 appearances Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 games Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches A midfielder and backline player are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine. But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup. "In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."