🔗 Share this article Delap Returns as Chelsea Aim to Solve Striker Issues Liam Delap scored his only goal for Chelsea at the Club World Cup during summer Forward Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea. The West London club were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "a lack of creativity" and his team's delivery being "not the best". Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer. Maresca commented the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the new recruit's return is important for a team facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this term. Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro Delap (to the left) and Joao Pedro signed for Chelsea this off-season for a combined £85m Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite attention from the Red Devils, the Magpies and Everton. Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with valid cause. Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton. More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded". When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the fitness aspect is important. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, notably in this league." "Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or [Erling] Haaland." Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack Chelsea confront additional challenges in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run. Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is not expected return from a groin problem until next month. Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica. Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and a single assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George. Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece. Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last campaign, is yet to find the net this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but earlier got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures. After thirteen games in every tournament no forward has above two scores, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four. Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the five players at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last season." Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this season. Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift? Khalid Boulahrouz didn't find the net while wearing the number nine for Chelsea Some Chelsea fans believe the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and players who donned it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games A central player and defender are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished 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 stated at the Club World Cup. "At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a number that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."