🔗 Share this article Delap Returns as Chelsea Seek to Fix Striker Issues Liam Delap scored his only goal for Chelsea at the international tournament during the warm season Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea. The West London club were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "subpar". Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in last month. Maresca commented the young striker will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the new recruit's comeback is vital for a team facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of winning a trophy this campaign. Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro Delap (to the left) and Joao Pedro signed for Chelsea this summer for a total £85 million Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite attention from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Everton. Yet the Three Lions prospect was below expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with good reason. Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton. More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully". When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Definitely the fitness aspect is important. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, notably in this division." "Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland." Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line Chelsea confront broader problems apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought. Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until the winter. Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica. Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George. Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each. Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last campaign, is still to score this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his last two games, but earlier found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures. After 13 matches in every tournament no striker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four. Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the front five at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last term." Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this season. Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken? Khalid Boulahrouz didn't find the net while bearing the nine shirt for Chelsea Some Chelsea fans feel the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been vacant since recently, and squad members who wore it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 appearances Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches A central player and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine. But Delap was unfazed when asked about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition. "In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a figure that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."