Moises Caicedo is set to return for Chelsea after playing in the first half of a closed friendly against Portsmouth on Saturday, according to reports. The Ecuador international has been recovering from a calf injury and was not called up to the squad for the international break.
The Blues hosted the Championship club in a match both sides kept behind closed doors, and lost the 2-0 encounter at Cobham. Portsmouth currently sit 19th in the Championship table following two wins from their opening seven league games under John Mousinho.
Caicedo is understood to have made only a brief appearance, with reports claiming that he did not play the full 45 minutes as Blues opted to take it easy during the international break. Marco Palestra is also due to make his debut after being sent back for first-team training, though it is not yet clear whether he will be involved.
The news comes as Xabi Alonso looks to turn his team’s fortunes around after seven points from five matches have seen them slip to 10th in the Premier League table. They have won just twice in five games and have yet to keep a clean sheet in the top flight.
Caicedo has made only one substitution appearance in the Premier League this season, playing 14 minutes across all competitions. The midfielder has struggled to recover from his injury after the Capital One Cup quarter-final win over Sheffield United in August, with Romeo Lavia stepping in for him on several occasions.
Manager Xabi Alonso is expected to decide whether Moises Caicedo will be available for selection at his pre-match press conference, with the Spaniard’s side set to face Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge this Saturday.
Marco Palestra Near To Making Long Awaited Chelsea Debut
Marco Palestra looks set to make his debut for Chelsea after being seen out on the training ground in full first-team training on Wednesday. The 21-year-old Italian wing-back joined the Blues from Atalanta this summer but has yet to make his debut for the club due to a quadriceps injury suffered before their opening day clash at Fulham.
He has since recovered and was sent out for first-team training after playing 67 minutes for the Blues in their pre-season friendly against Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge. Alonso had anticipated the Brentford fixture to be the debut match for the young defender but also named the Bournemouth clash as an option, with the club’s fans having to wait until October for Palestra to return to action.
In the meantime, Pedro Neto and Jorrel Hato have been used on the flanks. Injuries to key players have disrupted Chelsea’s preparations for their campaign, as captain Reece James was forced off in the 3-0 defeat at Brentford with a hamstring problem. Joao Pedro has been receiving personal physiotherapy on his knee after he withdrew from the Brazilian squad.