Alonso’s First Chelsea XI Leaves Transfer Questions Open
Chelsea’s team sheet for the Premier League trip to Fulham offered a clearer picture of Xabi Alonso’s immediate selection choices, while leaving several transfer questions unresolved.
Alonso’s first Premier League XI as Chelsea head coach was confirmed ahead of the Monday, August 24 fixture at Craven Cottage. Sports Mole’s confirmed team news reported that Enzo Fernández and Pedro Neto were among the substitutes, while Moisés Caicedo and Marco Palestra were absent from the squad.
Chelsea’s Fulham selection
Wesley Fofana was unavailable after beginning a two-match suspension following the red card he received against Sunderland on the final day of last season. Sports Mole reported that Josh Acheampong was selected in his place, joining Maxence Lacroix and Levi Colwill in the back three.
The same confirmed lineup named Malo Gusto and Jorrel Hato as the wing-backs, with Reece James and Romeo Lavia starting in midfield. Fernández was listed among the replacements, as was Neto.
Those decisions differed from pre-match expectations. The Football Faithful had predicted a side featuring James, Lacroix and Colwill in defence, with Neto and Palestra as wing-backs and Caicedo alongside Fernández in midfield. The later team sheet instead showed the selections made for the Fulham fixture.
What the team sheet shows
Fernández had returned to full training before the match. Sports Mole reported that Alonso said the midfielder was training well and preparing to be available for the Premier League opener, while also reporting continued interest from Manchester City. The confirmed lineup placed him on the bench rather than in the starting side.
Neto’s position was also unresolved before the game. The Football Faithful reported that he had agreed personal terms with Al-Hilal, but that the proposed move had not been completed and that he remained part of Chelsea’s group. Sports Mole’s later lineup report named him among the substitutes, with Gusto selected ahead of him.
Caicedo missed out on the squad, according to Sports Mole, which said his absence was presumed to be injury-related. Palestra was also absent from the squad in the later report, despite having been expected to start in the pre-match prediction.
A selection decision, not confirmation
The confirmed XI establishes who Alonso selected for this match, but it does not settle the longer-term situations surrounding Fernández, Neto, Caicedo or Palestra. Fernández’s place on the bench and Neto’s substitute role show that both were available to be used against Fulham, while Caicedo and Palestra were not included in the matchday group.
There were other fitness considerations in Chelsea’s pre-match team news. Jordan Henderson was sidelined with a wrist injury, while Caleb Wiley had a groin issue. Aaron Anselmino and Mamadou Sarr were doubts with knocks, and Emmanuel Emegha was also a doubt with a hamstring problem.
Other key calls
João Pedro started in the final third alongside Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers, according to Sports Mole. The Football Faithful had reported before the game that João Pedro had signed a contract through to 2034 and taken the number 9 shirt.
For Chelsea, the Fulham team sheet was an immediate indication of Alonso’s choices for the opening league match. It did not, on its own, provide confirmation of any transfer outcome.
