🔗 Share this article Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Look to Address Attacking Problems Liam Delap found the net for Chelsea at the international tournament during summer Forward Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea. The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "not the best". Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in the summer. Maresca stated the young striker will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the recent acquisition's return is important for a side facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of winning a trophy this season. Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro Delap (left) and Joao Pedro joined Chelsea this summer for a aggregate £85m Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by the Red Devils, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team. Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification. Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three goal contributions in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton. More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected". When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "For sure the physical part is important. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, notably in this competition." "Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine." Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack Chelsea confront additional challenges in addition to their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run. Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until next month. Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica. Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and a single assist - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George. Forward Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each. Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his last two games, but prior to that found the net just once in the first 10 games. After thirteen games in every tournament no forward has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four. Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last season." Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this term. Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift? Khalid Boulahrouz was goalless while sporting the number nine for Chelsea Some Chelsea supporters believe the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and footballers who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores 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 strikes in nineteen matches Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches A central player and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back. But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament. "At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."