Joao Pedro out for weeks with thigh injury as Emegha waits for Chelsea debut at Anfield
Chelsea's top scorer Joao Pedro will miss Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie at Liverpool and the games after it with a thigh injury. With Cole Palmer suspended at Anfield, summer signing Emmanuel Emegha could make his debut leading the line.
Chelsea will be without Joao Pedro for a few weeks. Xabi Alonso would not put an exact timescale on the thigh injury. He did make clear that the striker will not be fit for the next games. That rules him out of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup fourth-round tie at Anfield.
The Brazilian was hurt in training the day before Tottenham visited Stamford Bridge. Further tests confirmed he faces a spell on the sidelines. His absence removes Chelsea’s most productive attacker. Only Erling Haaland, with nine, had been directly involved in more Premier League goals than Joao Pedro before the injury, beIN SPORTS reported.
Chelsea have lost both league games without their striker
Joao Pedro missed the 3-0 defeat at Brentford on 18 September. That was the last game before the international break. He was absent again against Spurs. Goalkeeper Emi Martinez was also injured. Alonso brought in Mike Penders and Geovany Quenda in their place.
Tottenham went ahead with 13 minutes left, when a corner went in off Penders’ hand. Palmer was then sent off for two yellow cards in under ten minutes. Mathys Tel scored late to complete a 2-0 win.
The two results are consistent with a side that struggles for a cutting edge without its main striker. Chelsea failed to score in either game.
Emegha and Welbeck compete to lead the attack at Anfield
Palmer’s dismissal deepens the shortage for the cup tie. A Premier League red-card ban also covers the domestic cups, the Manchester Evening News reported. Palmer will therefore sit out at Anfield. That leaves him available for the next league game.
Emegha could be the beneficiary. He joined from Strasbourg in the summer but has not yet played for Chelsea. He has spent the past fortnight regaining fitness at Cobham after a hamstring problem. Alonso has now included him in the squad.
The Dutchman arrives with a solid scoring record. He scored 31 goals in 78 games for Strasbourg. He also won his first Netherlands cap last year.
Danny Welbeck is the other option. He and Emegha both trained on Tuesday. Both are in contention to lead the attack while Joao Pedro recovers. Alonso’s message is that this is why clubs build a squad. In his view, Chelsea must find answers rather than excuses.
Wednesday’s tie will be Chelsea’s 96th visit to Anfield. It is also a return for Alonso to the ground where he spent five years as a player. After the cup tie, Chelsea host Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
References
Joao Pedro 'out for a few weeks', confirms Chelsea boss Alonso (beIN SPORTS)
Why Cole Palmer is not suspended for Chelsea vs Man United after Tottenham red card (Manchester Evening News)
Xabi Alonso confirms Chelsea team news for Liverpool (Chelsea FC)
Press conference: Andoni Iraola on Carabao Cup aims and facing Xabi Alonso's Chelsea (Liverpool FC)
Anfield: Arne Müseler from Salzburg, AT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
