Chelsea’s international break gives Xabi Alonso something he badly needs after the 3-0 defeat at Brentford.
Time on the training ground.
A significant group of senior players are expected to remain at Cobham while others travel with their national teams.
Chelsea’s official international tracker currently lists Emiliano Martínez, Valentín Barco, Estêvão Willian, Mike Penders, Roméo Lavia, Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix, Jorrel Hato and Pedro Neto among those due away.
João Pedro has already withdrawn from Brazil duty through injury, while Cole Palmer is reportedly set to miss England’s Nations League fixtures.
That leaves Alonso with an important core in Surrey.
Chelsea still have senior players at Cobham
Reece James, Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Malo Gusto, Moisés Caicedo, Jordan Henderson, Jamie Gittens, Pep Chavarría and Marco Palestra are not currently listed among Chelsea’s senior international call-ups.
João Pedro will also remain at the club while recovering from the problem which forced him to withdraw from Brazil’s squad. Reuters confirmed his international absence.
Our Chelsea international break tracker will continue to follow any changes.
Alonso can work on Chelsea’s defensive structure
The Brentford defeat showed why this period could be useful.
Our 3-0 Chelsea match report detailed how Alonso’s side lost control after half-time and eventually conceded three times.
Having defenders such as Colwill, Fofana, Gusto and Chavarría available gives Alonso an opportunity to work on distances between the back line and midfield.
Caicedo’s recovery could be particularly important.
The Ecuador international missed Brentford because of his ongoing calf issue, while our updated Chelsea injury news hub tracks James, João Pedro, Caicedo and Palestra throughout the break.
Alonso should not need to rush any of them.
Chelsea do not return until Bournemouth visit Stamford Bridge on 10 October.
Cobham period could shape Chelsea’s restart
The break is not simply about recovering injured players.
Henderson can continue learning Alonso’s midfield demands after making his league debut at Brentford.
Gittens has an opportunity to strengthen his case for greater attacking involvement.
Palestra can continue building towards his competitive Chelsea debut.
Supporters can track Alonso’s options through our evergreen Chelsea squad guide.
Chelsea’s internationals will eventually return with only a few days before Bournemouth.
That makes the work Alonso can complete with those staying at Cobham particularly valuable.
Friday exposed several problems.
The next three weeks give him time to begin fixing them.
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