We’ve lost our top scorer, first-choice centre-back, and captain in the span of mere weeks; being a Chelsea fan is no walk in the park. João Pedro is sidelined for weeks with a thigh injury, Maxence Lacroix limped off with a hamstring injury at Anfield, and the club have yet to put a timeline on his return. Reece James had surgery on his knee two weeks ago and won’t be back until 2027.
We’re fifth in the league on just 13 points from 8 games, and have already conceded 15 goals. Only Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town have been worse, and Coventry are level with us. We face Manchester United at lunchtime on Saturday, and we need players who will step up. In my view, these are five such players:
1) Cole Palmer
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Palmer is back from the first suspension of his professional career, picked up for the first red card of his career, after two yellows against Spurs in a performance he’ll be cringing about watching again. He’s a phenomenal player, but he acted like a petulant boy in that match. With João out, Alonso has to find a new shape up front. Against Spurs, he used Morgan Rogers as a makeshift nine. Maybe he could use Palmer this time?
The playmaker has put in some decent performances with two goals and three assists in 6 league games. However, I’m slightly concerned by the drop-off in form. He played brilliantly against Fulham and Brighton. But he fell off a cliff after that, with subpar performances against Arsenal and Hull. He’s been sensational in the domestic cup, however, scoring two goals in two games. He’s not going anywhere until 2034, so there’s no real pressure. But there is certainly pressure on him to sit up on Saturday lunchtime.
2) Danny Welbeck
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We spent a reported small fortune bringing in 11 new players this summer. But we somehow gave the emergency striker role to a 35-year-old. Last season, this was justifiable. He scored 13 Premier League goals for Brighton from 10.1 xG. This season, however, he’s struggled. All three of his Chelsea goals have come in the League Cup: a header from Malo Gusto’s cross against Luton Town in August, and a brace against Leeds in September.
He hasn’t scored or assisted across 5 league appearances (105 minutes). Against Brentford, he had zero shots in 71 minutes. Meanwhile, Emmanuel Emegha is hot on his heels. The Dutchman has finally made his debut after three months out with a hamstring injury picked up in pre-season. He’s 6ft 5 and scored 31 goals in 78 games for Strasbourg.
3) Levi Colwill
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With Lacroix in doubt, Levi Colwill takes on the senior role in a backline that concedes 2 goals a game at home. He stepped in for Lacroix at Anfield and calmly scored his penalty in the shootout. But honestly, he hasn’t been himself. He tore his ACL in August 2025 and came back in May this year. He hasn’t looked as quick as the player who was once pushing for a World Cup spot. He’s only played 7 league games so far and hasn’t been as sharp.
He’s also the vice-captain now, so he’ll take on some of the leadership James has left. We need the Colwill we saw before his injury, and we need him against Manchester United on Saturday.
4) Wesley Fofana
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Anfield didn’t treat Fofana kindly. He had to deal with a Tsimikas corner 3 minutes after Morgan Rogers had put us ahead, and he handled it, giving Cody Gakpo a penalty to equalise. In the sudden-death penalty shootout, he also missed his penalty, sending it over the bar into the Kop.
However, he was mostly good through much of the game. He made 18 defensive actions, the most of any player on the pitch. He won 3 tackles and 9 duels. However, that handball and his missed penalty are all people will remember from that game. He’s expected to start with Colwill against United. A clean sheet and zero mistakes would boost his profile more than anything else.
5) Estêvão
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Xabi, please give this teenager a chance. After 8 games, 172 minutes, and two cup starts, Estêvão hasn’t contributed much. Both starts were in the League Cup, and he was substituted at half-time against Leeds. Alonso says these things happen, and his moment will come. But that’s what managers say in public.
Fair play to Alonso; the stats don’t suggest he’s been shafted. We’ve averaged 2.52 goals per 90 without him and 1.68 with him. He’s had 7 shots, created 6 chances and completed 5 dribbles from 14. He isn’t forcing his way in. But he needs to get a chance to do so, rather than a few minutes off the bench. However, with João out and our attack looking a bit short of ideas, the risk of playing him is smaller than the risk of leaving him out. Saturday is the perfect game for this teenager to make a statement.