🔗 Share this article Delap Makes Comeback as The Blues Look to Address Attacking Problems Liam Delap scored his only goal for Chelsea at the international tournament during the warm season Forward Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea. The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "subpar". Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month. Maresca commented the young striker will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the new recruit's availability is vital for a side facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of claiming silverware this campaign. Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro Delap (on the left) and Joao Pedro signed for Chelsea this summer for a aggregate £85m Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite attention from Manchester United, the Magpies and the Toffees. Yet the Three Lions prospect was second to expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification. Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton. More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three squad members - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully". When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "For sure the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, especially in this league." "Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or [Erling] Haaland." Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack Chelsea confront additional challenges in addition to their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought. Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until next month. Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica. Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one setup - equaling youth product Tyrique George. Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each. Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last term, is still to score this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that found the net just once in the first 10 games. After thirteen games in every tournament no striker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes. Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last term." Maresca has found ways to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this season. Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End? Khalid Boulahrouz failed to score while bearing the nine shirt for Chelsea Some Chelsea followers think the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been vacant since recently, and squad members who wore it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances A central player and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey. But Delap was unfazed when asked about the curse. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament. "Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a digit that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."