Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has confirmed that Moises Caicedo remains unavailable for Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie against Leeds United, as the club continues to exercise caution with the midfielder's recovery.
Caicedo, Ecuador's captain, has endured a difficult run with injury problems. He was withdrawn after just 14 minutes during a recent appearance and subsequently missed Chelsea's 2-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Reflecting on that setback in the aftermath of the Arsenal loss, Alonso conceded that Caicedo may have returned to action prematurely following his layoff. The Spanish coach stated his intention to avoid repeating that error, telling reporters he did not want to make the "same mistake again" when it comes to managing the player's return.
Speaking after the earlier Brighton fixture, Alonso had already flagged concerns over Caicedo's condition. "He was cautious to stop, to say that his feeling was not the best," the manager explained at the time. "We need to assess during the week that it wasn't something else."
On Tuesday, Alonso gave the latest word on Caicedo's status in his pre-match press duties ahead of the home tie with Leeds at Stamford Bridge. Asked directly whether the Ecuadorian was fit to feature, Alonso was unequivocal. "No. Not yet. Still not ready to go. Not the moment to take a too-early risk," he said. "We go game by game with them. It's too early."
When pushed on whether Caicedo might be available for Chelsea's upcoming fixture against Hull, the head coach left the door slightly ajar. "Potentially, yes. But we need to wait and probably Thursday or Friday we will know more," he added, suggesting a clearer picture would emerge later in the week.
Caicedo is not the only fitness concern on Alonso's radar. The Chelsea boss also addressed the situation surrounding young defender Marco Palestra, confirming he remains sidelined. Palestra had impressed during pre-season with what Alonso described as considerable promise, only to suffer an injury shortly before Chelsea's match against Fulham.
"Especially for (Palestra). He came with huge energy, huge desire to enjoy his game in the PL," Alonso said. "He had a very good pre-season. Right in the days before Fulham, he picked up an injury. We will need him, for sure. He will add a lot of good potential for the team."
There was better news on another front, with Alonso confirming that Levi Colwill has returned to full fitness and is available for selection. However, Jordan Henderson and Emmanuel Emegha have both been ruled out of the Leeds encounter.
In total, five players were addressed in Alonso's fitness briefing, underlining the scale of the injury issues currently facing the Chelsea squad as they navigate a congested fixture list across multiple competitions.
Leeds United, in contrast, travel to west London with a near-full complement of available players. Their only doubt surrounds winger Daniel James, who is set to undergo a late fitness assessment as he attempts to overcome ongoing issues with his back and hamstring before the Carabao Cup tie kicks off.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport.