Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has confirmed that striker Joao Pedro will miss a few weeks with a thigh injury.
The Brazil international missed Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday after picking up the injury during training on Friday.
After further checks, Alonso said the striker will miss Chelsea’s upcoming matches, including their EFL Cup fourth-round clash against Liverpool on Wednesday.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, the Chelsea boss admitted that losing Pedro was a significant blow but insisted his team must find a way to cope with his absence.
“He has an injury in his thigh, and he’s going to be out for a few weeks,” Alonso said.
“Let’s see how many – we don’t want to predict that. But he will not be ready for the next games. He is a key player, and we will miss him.
“But we have to be ready to deal with the injury, be competitive and try to win games with the players we have available, starting tomorrow against Liverpool, a cup game.
“This is the situation, and we are ready to fight for it and prove we can show a good level.”
Pedro started the season in phenomenal form, linking up with Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers to establish one of the Premier League’s fearsome attacks.
He has notched five goals and three assists in seven games across all competitions, making him an irreplaceable part of Alonso’s system.
Pedro’s absence was felt in the defeat to Tottenham, and again when Chelsea lost 3-0 to Brentford in mid-September.
Geovany Quenda made his first Premier League start in Pedro’s absence against Tottenham, while Rogers was asked to lead the line.
Danny Welbeck was an unused substitute in the London derby but could be named in the starting line-up when Chelsea visit Anfield on Wednesday.
Emmanuel Emegha is also an option for Alonso, with the Dutchman eager to make his Chelsea debut against Liverpool after joining from sister club RC Strasbourg over the summer.