🔗 Share this article Delap Returns as The Blues Seek to Fix Attacking Problems Liam Delap registered his sole strike for Chelsea at the Club World Cup during the warm season Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea. The West London club were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "below standard". Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August. Maresca said the emerging talent will be phased in "gradually", and the summer signing's comeback is crucial for a side facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their primary hope of winning a trophy this season. Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro Delap (to the left) and Joao Pedro arrived at Chelsea this summer transfer window for a aggregate £85m Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite attention from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and the Toffees. Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification. Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton. More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "handled carefully". When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Definitely the conditioning element is important. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, particularly in this competition." "Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the City striker." Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack Chelsea deal with wider issues beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run. Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not expected return from a groin injury until next month. 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 £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 £51m package, but has only two goals and one assist - equaling academy forward Tyrique George. Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each. Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last season, is yet to find the net this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but before that got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures. After thirteen games in various cups no forward has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals. Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last term." Maresca has discovered methods to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this season. Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken? Khalid Boulahrouz failed to score while sporting the number nine for Chelsea Some Chelsea supporters think the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been vacant since 2023, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games A central player and defender are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey. But Delap was unconcerned when asked about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition. "Ultimately it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a number that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."