Chelsea
Chelsea have been hit with fresh injury news just days before their visit to Brentford. Joao Pedro has withdrawn from the Brazil squad with a fitness problem. Xabi Alonso now faces a fitness scare over the striker who has led his line all season.
Joao Pedro ruled out of Brazil squad
Joao Pedro will not join up with Brazil for their two friendly games this month. As reported by ESPN, the forward sustained an injury that has ruled him out for now. Brazil have already named Matheus Martinelli as his replacement, the Fluminense midfielder, to take his place in the squad.
The exact nature of the injury has not yet been made public by either side. The Blues chose not to comment when asked about it on Thursday morning. Xabi Alonso is due to speak to the media before Friday’s game, when more detail on the injury may emerge.
Martinelli is a deep-lying Fluminense midfielder known for his passing range, a very different profile from Joao Pedro up front. His call-up looks more like squad cover than a like-for-like reshuffle for the friendlies.
Pedro’s stats for the 2025-26 season at Chelsea, as per FOTMOB:
Competitions Matches Goals Assists
Premier League 35 15 5
FA Cup 4 2 0
EFL Cup 3 0 1
UEFA Champions League 8 3 0
FIFA Club World Cup 3 3 0
Chelsea attack faces change without him
Joao Pedro has played a leading role in Chelsea’s football this term, leading the line ahead of Welbeck. Pedro has been directly involved in six Premier League goals this season, scoring three and setting up three more. Losing him for even one game would disrupt the front three Alonso has settled on this season.
Danny Welbeck looks the likely option to lead the attack against Brentford. The 35-year-old joined from Brighton in the summer and brings more than a decade of Premier League experience. Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers would continue to provide support from wide areas.
Welbeck offers a different profile to Joao Pedro up front. He tends to drop deeper and link play rather than always running in behind defenders. Alonso may therefore need to adjust how his front three presses to get the best from this new setup. The switch could also alter how Chelsea build attacks from deep, with Welbeck more comfortable receiving the ball to his feet. That could suit Palmer, who often looks for space between the lines instead of making direct runs in behind.
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Tough test awaits at Brentford
Chelsea have not won at Brentford’s home ground since 2021, a record that hangs over Friday’s Premier League trip. A good result would lift Xabi Alonso and his squad before the break. Reece James and Moises Caicedo also missed part of training this week. The session was shown to fans at Cobham, and Caicedo has been managing a calf issue. Joao Pedro was absent from that part of the session too, although the footage only covered the first 15 minutes.
This will be Alonso’s first international break since taking charge of Chelsea in the summer. The early results matter as he tries to settle things down after a hard season for the club. Brentford is Chelsea’s last match before the international break, and their next game is at home to Bournemouth on 10 October. That gives Alonso a rare break to check on his squad before a busy winter run. Fans will just hope Joao Pedro comes back fully fit for the games that follow.
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