Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has offered little clarity on the fitness of Joao Pedro ahead of Friday night's Premier League fixture at Brentford, with the forward's participation in serious doubt after he was absent from training earlier in the week.
Joao Pedro showed no obvious signs of a physical problem when he scored a goal and set up another during Chelsea's 2-2 draw against Hull City last weekend. However, his subsequent withdrawal from a training session raised alarm bells within the club regarding his availability for the trip to west London.
The Brazilian has been instrumental to Chelsea's attacking output this season, contributing three goals and three assists across four league appearances. His impact has helped Chelsea establish themselves as one of the division's most prolific attacking sides, with only former club Brighton & Hove Albion netting more Premier League goals so far this campaign.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Thursday, Alonso declined to confirm whether the 24-year-old would be fit to feature. "In terms of injuries and in terms of the squad, we are having the last training session tomorrow so no one is ruled out. We will wait until tomorrow," the Spanish coach explained.
When journalists pushed for more specific details about the nature of Joao Pedro's issue, Alonso remained guarded. Asked directly what the injury was, he simply responded: "No." Questioned further on whether the striker had even taken part in Thursday's session, Alonso added: "We will see tomorrow if he's ready to play and we will make a decision."
Joao Pedro is not the only attacking concern for Alonso heading into the Gtech Community Stadium encounter. Midfielder Moises Caicedo has struggled for continuity since the start of the season, having returned late from World Cup commitments before being eased back gradually. His first appearance of the campaign came off the bench in Chelsea's dramatic 4-3 victory over Brighton last month, but he lasted just 13 minutes before being substituted through injury. The Ecuadorian has not featured since that setback.
Despite the lingering uncertainty, Alonso suggested there was reason for optimism regarding Caicedo's return. "He is getting close. Tomorrow we will take the final decision," the manager stated, hinting that the 24-year-old could be in contention to feature against Brentford.
Adding to the club's injury concerns, captain Reece James also sat out training earlier in the week. Like his teammates Joao Pedro and Caicedo, James's status will be evaluated before Alonso finalizes his squad selection. Addressing James's absence, Alonso downplayed any serious worry, noting: "No it was just a decision for Tuesday, we will assess him."
With question marks hanging over several key figures, Alonso may need to turn to fringe players to fill gaps in his squad. Young talents Marco Palestra and Emmanuel Emegha, along with experienced campaigner Jordan Henderson, are among those who could be pushed into contention for involvement should the injury situation force Alonso's hand.
Chelsea will hope to build on their attacking momentum from recent weeks, but the final team news will only become clear following Thursday's concluding training session, with Alonso set to make his decisions on all three fitness doubts before kickoff at Brentford.
Based on reporting from Standard Football.