🔗 Share this article Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Aim to Solve Attacking Problems Liam Delap scored his only goal for Chelsea at the global competition during the warm season Striker 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 the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "a lack of creativity" and his team's delivery being "not the best". Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap returns in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in August. Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the recent acquisition's comeback is important for a club facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of winning a trophy this season. Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro Delap (on the left) and Joao Pedro signed for Chelsea this summer transfer window for a aggregate £85m Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite attention from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Everton. Yet the Three Lions prospect was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification. Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton. More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded". When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Certainly the physical part is important. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, notably in this league." "Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland." Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack Chelsea face additional challenges beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak. Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until December. Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica. Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George. Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each. Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last season, is still to score this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but earlier found the net just once in the first 10 games. After thirteen fixtures in various cups no forward has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals. Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last season." Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the top flight this term. Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken? Khalid Boulahrouz failed to score while wearing the number nine for Chelsea Some Chelsea fans feel the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been vacant since 2023, and players who wore it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 games Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games A central player and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine. But Delap was unmoved when asked about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament. "At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I like and there's zero expectation."