Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has confirmed that the club will be without a string of key players for Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup third-round clash against Leeds United at Stamford Bridge.
Addressing the media at the Cobham training ground on Tuesday, Alonso provided a cautious update on the fitness of Moises Caicedo and Marco Palestra. Both players have been sidelined with ongoing issues, and the manager insisted that he will not rush their returns.
“Not yet. They’re still not ready to go,” Alonso told reporters. “It’s not the moment to take too early a risk. We’ll go game by game with them, but it’s too early.”
Caicedo, 24, has been out of action since picking up an injury during the second half of Chelsea’s victory over Brighton several weeks ago. The midfielder, who had only recently returned to the fold, was forced to leave the pitch shortly after replacing Romeo Lavia. While there is faint optimism that he could be available for Saturday’s Premier League encounter against Hull City, Alonso stated that the medical staff will conduct further assessments on Thursday and Friday.
The news is particularly difficult for 21-year-old defender Marco Palestra. The £47 million summer signing from Atalanta has yet to make his competitive debut, having suffered a knock just days before the Premier League opener against Fulham.
“It is especially frustrating for him,” Alonso admitted. “He came with huge energy and a huge desire to enjoy his game in the Premier League. He had a very good pre-season, but it’s part of the life of a football player to come back from injury. We will wait for him because he has great potential and he will add a lot of qualities that we need for the team.”
In Palestra’s absence, Alonso has been forced to adapt his tactical setup, often deploying winger Pedro Neto in the right wing-back role.
The injury list does not end there, as Alonso confirmed that Jordan Henderson and Emmanuel Emegha are also ruled out for the visit of Daniel Farke’s Leeds. While the manager did not provide a specific timeline for their returns, he noted that more information would be available later this week.
There was at least one piece of positive news for the Blues: defender Levi Colwill is fit and available for selection. The defender had been a doubt following a minor issue sustained prior to Sunday’s defeat against Arsenal, but Alonso confirmed that “he’s okay for tomorrow.”
Looking ahead to the cup tie, the Chelsea boss warned of a difficult night at Stamford Bridge. “We are expecting a very intense game, very tough, with lots of duels,” Alonso said. “But we need to cope with that and find solutions.”
Disclaimer: This content is auto-generated for informational purposes only.
Source: Read Original News
