Alonso responds to tough questions about Colwill absence against Arsenal | OneFootball

Levi Colwill couldn’t start for Chelsea today, and that really cost the team in possession, especially in the second half.

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We were pretty stunned to see Levi Colwill on the bench today for the game against Arsenal.

The central defender is a key player both in terms of the back three and building into midfield. He was on the bench, so we assumed it was a tactical decision. But ahead of kick off, Xabi Alonso revealed that it was indeed a fitness issue.

Alonso refuses to blame Colwill and Caicedo injuries for midfield struggles

LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 06: Xabi Alonso, Manager of Chelsea, reacts after the Premier League 2026/27 match between Arsenal FC and Chelsea FC at Emirates Stadium on September 06, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

After the game, Alonso was asked whether Colwill’s absence (along with that of Moises Caicedo) had cost his team. It was hard to deny that, but the manager refused to use it as an excuse:

“It’s easy after the defeat to talk about the players that you are missing. I’m not going to go there. I’m happy with the players we have. For sure, you need to deal with injuries. For sure, Mikel has to deal with injuries.

“All the managers, we need to deal with suspension, with injuries. To have all the players available in all the games is impossible. But we need them because they are top players. And with them, we are a better team.”

The fact that Colwill was still on the bench tells you that whatever the injury is, it’s not serious. He will surely be back for Hull next Saturday, if not Leeds in midweek.

In other news…

Moises Caicedo would have started this week had he not come on as a sub last week and made his mystery injury worse. Alonso admitted today that Chelsea might have rushed him back.

Chelsea needed midfield control off the bench today and the best they could muster was Malo Gusto. This could be the start of a bigger problem for the Blues.