Chelsea
Chelsea have been hit by fresh injury news ahead of their trip to Brentford. Joao Pedro and Reece James both missed training on Tuesday, leaving Xabi Alonso with selection doubts ahead of the away game.
Joao Pedro and Reece James injury update
Both players played the full ninety minutes in Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Hull City at the weekend. As reported by The Standard, neither man showed signs of trouble in that game, making Tuesday’s absence a surprise. Sky Sports cameras only film the first fifteen minutes of training, though both could simply have joined the group later.
Alonso is set to give a full squad update on Thursday, one day before the Premier League clash at Brentford. Losing James would be a blow. He wears the armband and offers real pace down the right side. However, Alonso has more recently used him in a central midfield role rather than his usual right-back berth. That switch has been publicly questioned by former captain John Terry, who argues James remains better suited to defence.
Joao Pedro, meanwhile, has been a key man up front since his move to the club, and Alonso has favoured a settled back line so far this season.
Moises Caicedo return date and fitness battle
Caicedo has had a stop-start season, missing Chelsea’s first two league games before facing old club Brighton. He lasted just fourteen minutes before being pulled off. He then missed the games against Arsenal, Leeds and Hull. As a result, he has played barely a quarter of the minutes on offer so far this season.
Speaking before the Hull game, Alonso gave a guarded update on his midfielder.“Let’s see for Brentford, but unluckily not at the moment to take risks with him. Not yet, we are not there yet.” His absence has left a clear gap at the base of midfield, and the numbers back it up. Chelsea have kept only one clean sheet in five league games this season, a run that matches his time out.
Without Caicedo shielding the back line, gaps keep opening up for sharp opponents to exploit. His work rate and passing range remain hard to match in this Chelsea squad. Few midfielders in the modern football era combine that level of ground coverage with such composure on the ball. No amount of depth fully makes up for a player of his calibre missing from midfield.
Marco Palestra and Jordan Henderson fitness boost
There is better news on two other fronts, with Palestra having shone in pre-season. The Italian is yet to make his first competitive start, after a knock picked up soon after his move from Atalanta. He told an Italian outlet two weeks ago that his return was close, adding that he was feeling much better. Alonso has since said a first appearance now looks likely for Brentford, praising the youngster’s drive and insisting he only needs a little more time. Alonso has also outlined a fallback plan, suggesting that if Palestra isn’t quite ready for Friday, he should instead be available for the following match against Bournemouth. Summer signing Emmanuel Emegha is another player nearing full fitness and could also be in contention soon.
Henderson is also close to his first minutes since arriving from Brentford, having broken his wrist during World Cup celebrations. Alonso praised how the midfielder has handled his recovery, noting that his training has stayed sharp throughout the wait. Both men could be in the frame for the September 18 trip, handing Chelsea some much-needed depth for a squad that has been hit hard by injuries this season.
Also Read: Alex Scott: Chelsea make surprise move after £60m bid rejected
Read More: Enzo Fernandez made two transfer requests to leave Chelsea
Also Read: Willian Estevao gets Chelsea boost as Romano ends rumours