João Pedro expected to remain out until after international break

Xabi Alonso said João Pedro is expected to remain sidelined until after the next international break. The Chelsea forward suffered a thigh injury in training, and he is not expected back before the end of November at the earliest. The length of his absence remains uncertain: Alonso said it would be several weeks but did not give a precise timeframe.

Chelsea must already reconsider its attacking options ahead of tonight’s Carabao Cup round-of-16 match against Liverpool at Anfield. João Pedro had missed last Saturday’s game, a 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham, before suffering the training injury. The prospect of an extended absence adds another constraint as Chelsea prepares for the trip to Liverpool.

His absence is also expected to stretch beyond the cup tie. João Pedro is likely to miss next month’s international break and should therefore be unavailable to Brazil. He had already missed the national team’s previous gathering because of a knee injury. Chelsea must consequently manage an absence affecting both the club’s upcoming fixtures and the player’s international schedule.

Alonso described the situation without setting a return date: “He has a thigh injury and will be out for several weeks. Let’s wait and see how long he will be out. We don’t want to speculate about it, but he is not ready for the next games.”

Recent attacking decisions add to the questions facing the coach. Alonso’s choice to leave out a centre-forward and omit Danny Welbeck against Tottenham caused surprise, while Welbeck is seeking a starting place against Liverpool. With João Pedro unavailable, Alonso will need to adjust his setup for the trip.

Anfield also has personal significance for Alonso, who won the Champions League with Liverpool as a player in 2005. This will be his third visit there as manager of an opposing side: he lost with Bayer Leverkusen in 2024 and with Real Madrid last season. Asked whether he would celebrate if Chelsea scored, he said: “I will certainly celebrate with all due respect, because my friendly relations with Liverpool were there when I was a player. Now I am in a different role; I have to support my team and fight for it.”