Chelsea Faces Injury Concerns as Pedro and Caicedo Remain Absent
Pedro’s season has barely started and already Chelsea are sweating on his fitness again.
The Brazilian, comfortably the club’s standout performer so far, was nowhere to be seen in the open section of Tuesday’s training session, according to Sky Sports reporter James Savundra. No bib. No boots. No sign of the forward who has dragged Chelsea through the opening weeks.
His numbers tell the story. Three goals and three assists in just five appearances. The latest contribution came at Hull City on Saturday, when his late equaliser salvaged a point and masked another uneven Chelsea display. Take that influence out of Alonso’s side and the whole attacking structure starts to look fragile.
Key trio missing from main group
Pedro was not the only notable absentee.
Club captain Reece James and marquee midfielder Moises Caicedo were also missing from the main group as Chelsea stepped up preparations for Friday night’s clash with Brentford.
James’ absence will sting. Deployed centrally this season, the England international has become a pillar in Alonso’s reshaped midfield, completing the full 90 minutes in three of Chelsea’s four league games. He finished the draw at Hull looking fresh, no obvious issue, no late limp. That is what makes his sudden disappearance from training such a jolt for the coaching staff.
Caicedo, by contrast, has been a known headache for weeks.
Caicedo’s stop-start season
The Ecuador international has yet to start a game this campaign, his progress repeatedly checked by a nagging physical problem that simply will not clear.
He missed the opening weekend against Fulham, then managed only a 14‑minute cameo in the chaotic 4-3 win over Brighton. That brief return backfired. The same issue flared up again, ruling him out of subsequent matches against Arsenal and Leeds and forcing Alonso into yet more midfield reshuffles.
The Chelsea manager has been blunt about how carefully the club must handle their 24‑year‑old asset. Speaking last week about the possibility of Caicedo featuring this Friday, Alonso drew a firm line.
“Not yet, we’ll see for Brentford,” he said in his pre‑match press conference, underlining that the medical green light has not yet arrived. He doubled down on the message, stressing Chelsea cannot gamble with the midfielder’s body: “We’re not at a moment to take risks with him. Not yet; we are not yet.”
The stance is clear. Until the staff are convinced that the problem has fully settled, Caicedo will watch from the sidelines.
A glimmer of good news
Amid the concern over three key names, there was at least a brighter note at Cobham.
Summer signings Marco Palestra and Jordan Henderson both trained fully with the group, a welcome sight for a squad that has creaked under the strain of early-season injuries and interrupted preparations. Their integration has been slower than many expected, but Tuesday’s session moved them closer to long-awaited debuts in Chelsea blue.
With Pedro, James and Caicedo all question marks and Brentford looming, Alonso’s options could look very different by the end of the week. The only certainty is that Chelsea can ill afford to lose the man who keeps rescuing them, just as two long-awaited reinforcements edge towards the starting line.
