Chelsea Injury Update: Xabi Alonso Confirms Caicedo, Palestra to Miss Luton Carabao Cup Clash

Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has confirmed that Moises Caicedo and Marco Palestra will miss Thursday’s Carabao Cup second-round clash against Luton Town.

The two players were also unavailable for Chelsea’s Premier League opener against Fulham, where the Blues secured a 3-2 victory at Craven Cottage. Alonso said neither player will recover in time to feature against Luton.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, the Chelsea manager gave a brief update on the pair’s condition.

“Not for tomorrow, both won’t make it [against Luton],” Alonso said when asked about Caicedo and Palestra.

The Spaniard, however, offered some hope regarding Caicedo’s availability for Chelsea’s next Premier League fixture. He said the Ecuadorian midfielder could return at the weekend, although the club will continue to assess his condition.

“Let’s see, hopefully Moi could make it for the weekend, but we need to check a little bit more with Marco,” Alonso added.

While Caicedo and Palestra remain unavailable, Alonso confirmed that the rest of the players who trained from Monday are fit for selection. He also provided a positive update on attacking midfielder Cole Palmer, who missed concerns surrounding his fitness ahead of the cup tie.

“Otherwise, everyone from Monday is okay, Cole [Palmer] is absolutely fine,” the Chelsea boss said.

Goalkeeper Mike Penders is also expected to be part of the squad for the Luton Town encounter, giving the young shot-stopper an opportunity to make an impression as Alonso manages his squad during the early stages of the season.

Chelsea will now turn their attention to the Carabao Cup, with Alonso expected to make changes to his starting XI while dealing with the absence of Caicedo and Palestra. The match will also provide an opportunity for several squad players to stake their claim for regular first-team football.