Eight absences leave Chelsea facing a gruelling October
Jamie Gittens was forced off with an ankle problem during England Under-21s’ 4-2 win over Kazakhstan, taking Chelsea’s injury-related absences to eight players ahead of the Premier League restart next weekend.
Gittens latest to fall as Alonso’s problems mount
Gittens started for Lee Carsley’s side on Friday night in a 2027 European Championship qualifier at Molineux, only to be withdrawn six minutes before half-time and replaced by Tyrique George. Carsley confirmed the winger would head back to Stamford Bridge for further assessment, telling reporters that Gittens got a kick on his ankle and that England never take risks with players of that age, preferring to send them straight back rather than keep them in camp. That means another wait for scan results on Gittens’ injury before Alonso can plan properly for what comes next.
It’s a brutal way to mark a £51.5 million move from Borussia Dortmund, and Gittens still hasn’t had the run of games at Chelsea that a fee like that demands.
Penders and Palmer add to the pile
Goalkeeper Mike Penders was already sidelined with a thigh issue picked up on international duty with Belgium, and Thomas Tuchel has voiced his own frustration over Cole Palmer’s absence from the senior England squad. Palmer withdrew to follow an injury-specific training plan, with Tuchel explaining that Palmer is playing with discomfort and pain and cannot compete at the highest level in that state, adding that it’s a missed opportunity for a player who misses too many camps through injury. Tuchel was careful not to blame Palmer directly, but the message was pointed all the same.
Back in London, Alonso is also without Joao Pedro, Reece James, Moises Caicedo, Marco Palestra and Emmanuel Emegha, rounding out a list that now runs to eight names across attack, midfield, defence and goal. It’s the kind of spread that makes it almost impossible to settle on a system, let alone a starting XI, and the wider injury picture only reinforces how thin things have become. The Mike Penders situation specifically leaves Chelsea light between the sticks, and it’s fair to say the goalkeeper’s absence couldn’t have come at a worse moment.
Chelsea now face a gruelling October, starting with Bournemouth at home on October 10, then Everton on October 17 and Tottenham on October 24, before a Capital One Cup tie against Liverpool on October 28 and a trip to Manchester United on October 31. How many of these eight are back in contention by then could define how that sequence goes.
In other news…
Chelsea supporters have already been reacting to the mounting absences and debating whether reinforcements are needed to cover the gaps left across the squad.
Elsewhere, questions continue over how Alonso balances rotation and fitness management given the club’s congested fixture list through the autumn.
