Xabi Alonso has confirmed no Chelsea player has been ruled out of Friday night’s Premier League clash with Brentford.
João Pedro, Moises Caicedo and Reece James have all been the subject of fitness questions ahead of the west London derby at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Alonso has now provided an encouraging update, although Chelsea will wait until their final training session before making decisions over individual players.
“In terms of injuries and the squad, we are having the last training session tomorrow so no one is ruled out for us for Friday,” Alonso said.
“I prefer to be cautious. We will take the final decision on every player.”
Xabi Alonso gives João Pedro Chelsea injury update
The biggest new concern surrounds João Pedro.
The Brazilian has been withdrawn from his national team’s upcoming fixtures because of injury, adding uncertainty over whether he will be available against Brentford.
Chelsea have not revealed the nature of the problem or provided a recovery timeframe.
His withdrawal followed the forward missing the open section of training earlier this week, with the Brazilian Football Confederation subsequently confirming João Pedro was injured.
Alonso nevertheless refused to rule him out of Friday’s game.
João Pedro has become a key part of Chelsea’s attack after producing three goals and three assists across his opening four Premier League appearances.
Moises Caicedo closing in on Chelsea return
There was also a potentially positive development regarding Caicedo.
The Ecuador international has made just one appearance this season after a calf problem suffered during pre-season.
He returned as a substitute against Brighton but lasted only 14 minutes before suffering a recurrence, with Chelsea subsequently taking a cautious approach to his recovery.
Alonso confirmed Caicedo is now moving closer to being available.
“He’s getting closer and tomorrow we will make the final decision,” he said.
The Chelsea head coach also underlined Caicedo’s importance, describing him as one of the world’s leading midfielders and admitting his absence has forced the Blues to adapt.
Chelsea had already hoped Caicedo could return against Brentford after Alonso ruled him out of the previous Premier League meeting with Hull City.
Alonso explains Reece James training absence
James also attracted attention after he was absent from the open section of Chelsea’s training session on Tuesday.
Alonso, however, suggested there was no reason to interpret that absence as confirmation of an injury.
“No, it was just a decision for Tuesday,” Alonso said when asked about the Chelsea captain.
“Tomorrow, we will decide.”
That leaves James, Caicedo and João Pedro all potentially available for the trip across west London.
Chelsea face Brentford at 8pm on Friday, with Alonso’s side looking to return to winning ways after their 2-2 draw with Hull.
The Blues’ Brentford preview highlights the challenge awaiting Alonso’s side at the Gtech Community Stadium, but the prospect of recovering several important players could strengthen his options considerably.
For now, though, Alonso is refusing to make any definitive calls until Chelsea complete their final preparations.
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