Carabao Cup: Liam Delap returns for Chelsea against Wolves

Chelsea faces broader problems that go beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro’s negative run.

Forward Cole Palmer has played two complete games all season and is not expected to return from a hip injury until December.

Winger Jamie Pineau-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of up to £52m, has registered no goals and one assist in 10 appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, signed from Manchester United for £40m, has scored once in seven appearances and forced an own goal against Benfica.

Estévao Willian, 18, has enjoyed himself since joining from Palmeiras for a fee that has risen to £51m, but he has just two goals and one assist, which is on par with academy striker Tyrique George.

Striker Marc Guyot and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotti have one goal each.

Mark Cucurella, who scored seven goals from left-back last season, has yet to find the back of the net this season. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two assists in his last two matches, but before that he had scored just once in his first 10 matches.

After 13 matches in all competitions, no striker has scored more than two goals, and midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo are Chelsea’s top scorers with four goals.

Asked if the lack of natural scorers meant responsibility had to be shared, Maresca said: “Yes, absolutely. We have said many times that the five players up front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, the way we did last season.”

Maresca has found ways to compete despite the offensive inconsistency. Chelsea ranks second in terms of the number of goals from free kicks in the English Premier League, one goal behind Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the first team to have 10 different goalscorers in the top flight this season.