Chelsea's top scorer Joao Pedro will be out for a few weeks with a thigh injury, Xabi Alonso confirmed on Tuesday — ruling the Brazilian out of Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie at Liverpool and Saturday's Premier League clash with Manchester United.
The 25-year-old was hurt in training on Friday and missed Saturday's 2-0 home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur, a game Chelsea badly needed him in. What was first a doubt is now a confirmed absence, and Alonso refused to put an exact return date on his main source of goals.
The confirmation Chelsea did not want
"Yes, he has an injury on his thigh and he is going to be out for a few weeks," Alonso told reporters at Cobham, in quotes reported by Reuters. "Let's see how many. We don't want to predict on that, but he's not ready for the next games."
"He is a key player. We will miss him, but we will have to be ready to deal with the injury and to be competitive and to try to win games with the players that we have available. We are starting tomorrow against Liverpool, a cup game. This is the situation. We are ready to fight for it and ready to prove that we can show the level."
The numbers explain the worry. Pedro has scored five goals and provided three assists in seven appearances across all competitions this season, leading Chelsea's attack in front of Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer. Against Tottenham, Rogers led the line and Chelsea failed to score — a blunt preview of life without their Brazilian.
An absentee list that keeps growing
Pedro does not travel to Anfield alone on the sidelines. Cole Palmer is suspended for the Liverpool tie after his red card against Tottenham, while Emiliano Martinez (fractured jaw), captain Reece James and Jamie Gittens are also out, as football.london detailed from the same press conference.
There is one piece of good news. Emmanuel Emegha is finally available after a hamstring injury suffered in July and a setback on his way back. The 1.95-metre Dutch striker has trained for the last ten days and could make his long-awaited Chelsea debut at Anfield. "It's important that we have him available because he has special qualities," Alonso said. "Maybe tomorrow he has the chance to play." Danny Welbeck, who has started both of Chelsea's previous Carabao Cup ties, is the other option through the middle.
So what: Anfield first, then a wounded United
The timing could hardly be worse. Chelsea face Liverpool away on Wednesday night and then host Manchester United on Saturday — the same United whose manager Michael Carrick goes into the game fighting for his job. Two defeats in four days, without their top scorer and their suspended talisman, would turn a bad week into a crisis for Alonso, whose side have already lost three of their opening eight league games.
For Liverpool, the news tilts an already difficult cup tie further towards the hosts, who have won four straight in all competitions under Andoni Iraola.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Chelsea built this attack around Joao Pedro, and Tuesday's confirmation exposes how thin the plan B is — a debutant who has not played a competitive minute for the club and a veteran in Welbeck. Alonso says this is why you build a squad. Anfield on Wednesday will show whether he actually has one. Can Chelsea score at Anfield without Pedro and Palmer? Let us know in the comments.
