🔗 Share this article Delap Makes Comeback as The Blues Seek to Fix Striker Issues Liam Delap registered his sole strike for Chelsea at the global competition during the warm season Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea. The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "not the best". Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and assists as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in August. Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be phased in "carefully", and the new recruit's return is crucial for a side facing criticism over their unpredictability, 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 arrived at Chelsea this off-season for a aggregate £85m Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite interest from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Everton. Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification. Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls. More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully". When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "For sure the physical part is important. 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 annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or [Erling] Haaland." Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line Chelsea confront additional challenges beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought. Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until December. Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica. Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and one setup - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George. Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each. Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last campaign, is yet to find the net this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his last two games, but prior to that found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures. After 13 matches in various cups no attacker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four. Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last season." Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the first division this term. Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End? Khalid Boulahrouz was goalless while wearing the number nine for Chelsea Some Chelsea followers believe the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been available since last year, and players who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 games Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances A midfielder and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine. But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the curse. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the global competition. "In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."