🔗 Share this article Delap Makes Comeback as The Blues Seek to Fix Striker Issues Liam Delap scored his only goal for Chelsea at the global competition during summer Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea. The Blues lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "not the best". Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap returns in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month. Maresca said the young striker will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the recent acquisition's availability is vital for a team facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of securing honors this season. Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro Delap (on the left) and Joao Pedro joined Chelsea this summer transfer window for a combined £85m Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and the Toffees. Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with solid justification. Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three assists in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton. More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded". When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "For sure the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, notably in this competition." "Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland." Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack Chelsea confront additional challenges in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak. Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until next month. Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired 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 goal in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica. Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and a single assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George. Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece. Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last campaign, is still to score this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that scored only once in the opening ten matches. After thirteen games in various cups no striker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals. Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last season." Maresca has found ways to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this term. Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift? Khalid Boulahrouz failed to score while sporting the number nine for Chelsea Some Chelsea followers think the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been available since 2023, and footballers who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 games Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games 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) - failed to score in 16 appearances Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in twenty-five matches Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances A midfielder and backline player are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back. But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition. "Ultimately it's a number on the back of your uniform. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."