🔗 Share this article Delap Returns as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Attacking Problems Liam Delap scored his only goal for Chelsea at the international tournament during the warm season Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea. The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "below standard". Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month. Maresca commented the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the recent acquisition's comeback is vital for a team facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of securing honors this campaign. Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro Delap (left) and Joao Pedro arrived at Chelsea this off-season for a aggregate £85m Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite pursuit by the Red Devils, St James' Park side and Everton. Yet the young English striker was below expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification. Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls. More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected". When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "For sure 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 get goals and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine." Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense Chelsea deal with wider issues beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak. Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until the winter. Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica. Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one setup - matching youth product Tyrique George. Striker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece. Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last campaign, is without a goal this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his last two games, but earlier scored only once in the opening ten matches. After thirteen fixtures in every tournament no forward has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four. Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the front, 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 runner-up in dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this term. Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End? Khalid Boulahrouz was goalless while sporting the number nine for Chelsea Some Chelsea supporters feel the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been available since 2023, and players who wore it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games A engine room operator and defender are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine. But Delap was unfazed when queried about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament. "Ultimately it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."