Chelsea injury concern as Joao Pedro, Moises Caicedo and Reece James miss training | OneFootball

Chelsea’s build-up to Friday’s west London derby at Brentford has been hit by an injury scare, with Joao Pedro, Reece James and Moises Caicedo absent from Tuesday morning training. They are seeking a lift after a disappointing draw at Hull City.

Sky Sports reported that Pedro was not involved during the open section of the session. The Brazilian has been Chelsea’s standout this season, with three goals and three assists in five outings, including a late equaliser at Hull on Saturday.

Club captain James and midfielder Caicedo were also missing from the main group. James has operated in central midfield this term, playing 90 minutes in three of four league matches, and his unexpected absence is a concern.

Alonso had already addressed Caicedo’s fitness last week, saying the 24-year-old was not ready and they would see about Brentford. He stressed he would not take risks with the midfielder.

Caicedo’s campaign has been disrupted by a recurring problem. He missed the opening weekend against Fulham, made a 14-minute cameo in the 4-3 win over Brighton, then suffered a setback that kept him out against Arsenal and Leeds.

There was some encouragement on Tuesday as summer signings Marco Palestra and Jordan Henderson trained fully with the squad. Both are edging closer to debuts, and with three key cogs potentially sidelined, Alonso will need recent arrivals and fringe players to step up at Keith Andrews’ Brentford.

Source: Goal.com

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