Chelsea will be without Joao Pedro for Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup meeting with Liverpool, and there is no point dressing it up, this is a problem. Xabi Alonso has confirmed the Brazilian forward has suffered a thigh injury and will be sidelined for the next few weeks, removing one of his most important attacking options ahead of a difficult trip to Anfield.
Joao Pedro was a surprise omission from the squad that lost 2-0 to Tottenham at the weekend. The injury was picked up in training the day before, and Chelsea looked short of presence and incision without him. Morgan Rogers filled in through the middle, but the role never really suited him and Chelsea paid for a lack of focal point in attack.
Alonso had already hinted at a problem before the Spurs game when he said, “At the moment has some liquid, so we have to do some tests to know how big the injury is. It’s disappointing, but we need to carry on.” The picture is now clearer, and not in a good way.
Joao Pedro Injury Forces Chelsea Rethink
Speaking before the Liverpool tie, Alonso said: “He has an injury of his thigh and he is going to be out for a few weeks. Let’s see how many. We don’t want to predict on that, but he is not ready for the next games.” That leaves Chelsea needing solutions quickly, because their record without Joao Pedro already looks concerning.
Photo: IMAGO
He has now missed defeats against Brentford and Tottenham, and Chelsea’s attack has lacked sharpness in both matches. The issue for Alonso is not simply replacing goals, it is replacing movement, link play and structure.
Liverpool Test Comes at Bad Time
A trip to Liverpool was awkward enough. Doing it without Joao Pedro makes it harder. Alonso did at least confirm that Emmanuel Emegha, Danny Welbeck and Estevao will all be included in the matchday squad, which gives him options even if none offers a like-for-like replacement.
Alonso remains publicly calm, saying: “Yeah, for sure. This is why you build a squad. For…
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