Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "below standard".
Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in last month.
Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be phased in "slowly", and the recent acquisition's availability is vital for a side facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this campaign.
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by the Red Devils, St James' Park side and Everton.
Yet the young English striker was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".
When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "Certainly the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, particularly in this league."
"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 find the net and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the PSG forward or [Erling] Haaland."
Chelsea confront wider issues beyond their forwards 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.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and a single assist - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen fixtures in various cups no attacker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.
Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the fashion we managed last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this season.
Some Chelsea supporters think the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been vacant since recently, and players who sported it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
A central player and backline player are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when asked about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.
"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a figure that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's no added burden."
Elara is a seasoned gaming journalist with a passion for slot mechanics and player strategies.
