Xabi Alonso celebrates
Xabi Alonso celebrates after Chelsea's win over Brighton(Image: Robin Jones)
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Marco Palestra has insisted he is on the mend but is still "a few days" away from returning to action following his injury layoff.
The Chelsea defender, who was signed from Atalanta for £47million in July, impressed for the Blues during pre-season but has missed the opening three matches of his debut campaign with an injury. Xabi Alonso has not yet specified what type of injury Palestra is nursing but the 21-year-old is nearing his return to training.
Speaking to Sky Italia, Palestra said this on his injury: "I'm fine, it's still a few days away, but I feel much better."
In turn, Palestra has almost ruled himself out of Sunday afternoon's trip to the Emirates Stadium to take on Premier League champions Arsenal. Palestra was not spotted in any of the training pictures released on Wednesday by the club, so he likely means "a few days away" from returning to the pitch at Cobham.
Elsewhere, we expect to hear an update from Alonso on midfielder Moises Caicedo on Friday afternoon. Alonso will take his pre-Arsenal press conference at 1:30pm (UK time) on Friday where the fitness of Caicedo is set to be addressed after he limped off with an injury in the weekend's win over Brighton at Stamford Bridge.
The 24-year-old midfielder missed Chelsea's wins over Fulham and Luton Town with the problem, again unspecified, but Alonso is hopeful his latest issue is not a new one.
Speaking moments after the Ecuadorian came off with an injury, Alonso said: "Hopefully it was not new and it wasn't more than last time. So he was cautious to stop, to say that this feeling was not the best but we need to assess during the week. But it wasn't something new."
Elsewhere, Arsenal fans are concerned after Cristhian Mosquera and Bruno Guimaraes were not spotted in Thursday morning's training session at London Colney. Declan Rice, though, was on the training pitch, while Jurrien Timber was doing rehabilitation work on his own.