Moises Caicedo has been spotted in action at Cobham training ground ahead of Chelsea's clash against Arsenal... not on the grass, but in the games room playing table tennis!
Manager Xabi Alonso of Chelsea during a training session at Chelsea Training Ground on September 3, 2026 in Cobham, United Kingdom
Xabi Alonso during a Chelsea training session at Cobham(Image: Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
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Xabi Alonso has put the Chelsea players through their paces in training ahead of this weekend's clash against Arsenal. The Blues will lock horns with Mikel Arteta's side at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday as they each look to extend their perfect starts to the new Premier League season.
Chelsea and Arsenal are just two of four English top-flight teams to have won their opening pair of fixtures, rubbing shoulders with Manchester City and Hull City at the top of the table. Although the Gunners may fancy their chances, having not lost to the Blues in over five years, they could be without some key players.
Bruno Guimaraes and Cristhian Mosquera were not in action at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Thursday. During last week's win over Aston Villa, the former marked his long-awaited return to the starting lineup following a brief spell on the sidelines with a groin issue.
Meanwhile, the latter was forced to come off in the final minutes, having appeared to suffer a knock. As it stands, the severity of the problems remain unclear, giving Alonso something else to think about ahead of the London derby.
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Chelsea could be without some big names, too, so the highly anticipated fixture could be decided by squad depth. So, with that being said, football.london has looked at five things you may have missed from training at Cobham this week.
No sign of Palestra
Marco Palestra was not spotted in action at Cobham training ground on Thursday. The 21-year-old, whom Chelsea signed from Atalanta for £47m in the summer, looked set to be one of the first names on the teamsheet under Alonso, especially in the early stages of the campaign, having caught the eye in pre-season.
But unfortunately, the versatile defender suffered a knock in the build-up to the opening game of the new season, and he's yet to even feature in a Premier League matchday squad. On Wednesday evening, however, Palestra attended the Gran Gala del Calcio held at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
The Italian, who had spent last term on loan at Cagliari, received an award for being named in the Serie A team of the season. Palestra was on stage alongside the likes of Luka Modric, Scott McTominay, and Lautaro Martinez.
Marco Palestra during Gran Gala' del Calcio Aic 2026 at La Scala Theatre
Marco Palestra during Gran Gala' del Calcio Aic 2026 at La Scala Theatre
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Forgotten Chelsea star in action
Aaron Anselmino was in action at Cobham training ground on Thursday. The 21-year-old defender left the field in tears when he suffered a hamstring injury during Chelsea's penultimate friendly of pre-season against Johor Darul Ta'zim, but he appears available for selection again.
Martinez gets on the ball
During a particular drill at Cobham, Emiliano Martinez was spotted putting his sweeper-keeper skills to the test by dribbling past a teammate. The new Chelsea shot-stopper had a fluorescent yellow bib on and appeared to be taking part in an outfielders' session – or he just lost his bearings and found himself in the middle of the park!
Emi Martínez in Chelsea training at Cobham.
Emi Martínez in Chelsea training at Cobham.
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Alonso takes action after Caicedo injury
Reggie Watson was at the heart of the action in Chelsea training. The 16-year-old midfielder caught the eye during the pre-season tour of Australia and Asia last month, and could feature for the Blues at some point this season.
Whether it's Watson or Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, who also turned heads over the summer, Alonso could be left no choice but to throw a Cobham prospect or two into the deep following the departure of Enzo Fernandez.
Although Moises Caicedo, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, and Valentin Barco, as well as perhaps Jordan Henderson, should be able to hold down the fort until at least January, either of the teenagers could suddenly be called upon if there's a wave of first-team injuries.
Emegha defeats Caicedo at table tennis
Although Caicedo wasn't spotted on the grass at Cobham on Thursday, he has been at the club's training base in Surrey. On Wednesday, Geovany Quenda uploaded a video to Snapchat of the Chelsea star playing table tennis with Emmanuel Emegha in what looked to be an on-site games room.
Moises Caicedo lost a game of table tennis to Emmanuel Emegha at Cobham training ground.
Moises Caicedo lost a game of table tennis to Emmanuel Emegha at Cobham training ground.(Image: Geovany Quenda on Snapchat.)
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Caicedo lost the game, and his new teammate, who arrived from Strasbourg this summer, made sure to let him know, shouting and punching the air before bursting into laughter. The Ecuador international was understandably not so pleased, but he took the defeat well!