Chelsea team news vs Leeds United firmed up on Tuesday afternoon, with Xabi Alonso confirming four absentees for Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup third-round tie at Stamford Bridge — but also handing his own defence a boost.
Chelsea team news vs Leeds United: who is missing
Centre-back Levi Colwill, who dropped to the bench for the weekend defeat by Arsenal after reporting a minor issue, has been passed fit. Moises Caicedo is still unavailable, as is £47m right-back Marco Palestra, who has yet to feature at all this season. Longer-term absentees Jordan Henderson and Emmanuel Emegha also sit this one out.
Asked about the fitness picture, Alonso said: “He’s okay. He’s okay for tomorrow. [Palestra and Caicedo] still not ready to go. Not the moment to take too early a risk. So we go game by game with them and it’s too early.”
Still plenty left for Alonso
Four down or not, Chelsea are hardly short. Their squad was rebuilt again this summer at a cost of almost £350m, and there is more than enough attacking quality at Alonso’s disposal to punish a rotated Leeds side — even if the hosts have come under scrutiny for lacking an edge. Arsenal inflicted their first defeat of the campaign last weekend.
Daniel Farke travels south with problems of his own, Joe Rodon sidelined and a question mark hanging over Daniel James, though Melvin Bard and Jean-Matteo Bahoya are both in line for long-awaited debuts. The Whites are unbeaten across all four competitive games so far, and Farke has already framed a League Cup run as a genuine route into Europe.
Alonso’s update was first reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post. Kick-off at Stamford Bridge is on Wednesday evening.
