EPL: João Pedro, James in contention for Brentford clash – Alonso

Chelsea manager, Xabi Alonso Photo: web

Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has confirmed that João Pedro and Reece James remain in contention for Friday’s Premier League clash with Brentford despite concerns over their fitness.

João Pedro withdrew from the Brazil squad for the upcoming international break after picking up an injury, while James missed the start of Chelsea’s training session on Tuesday.

However, Alonso has refused to rule either player out of the west London derby, with Chelsea set to make their final decisions after their last training session.

In a post obtained from Chelsea’s website on Friday, Alonso was quoted as saying, “In terms of injuries and in terms of the squad we are having the last training session tomorrow so no-one is ruled out for us for Friday,” Alonso said.

The Chelsea boss urged caution over João Pedro’s condition but confirmed that the Brazilian forward could still feature against Brentford.

“So I prefer to be cautious and we will wait until tomorrow to take the final decision on every player,” he added.

“We will see tomorrow if Joao is ready to play, it’s a possibility.”

João Pedro has made an impressive start to the season, registering three goals and three assists in four Premier League appearances, making his potential availability a significant boost for Alonso’s side.

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On James, who also raised concerns after missing part of Tuesday’s training, Alonso played down the significance of his absence.

“For Reece, it was just a decision for Tuesday and we see his development and tomorrow we will decide,” he said.

Chelsea are also monitoring the fitness of midfielder Moisés Caicedo, who has been working his way back from injury.

“He’s getting closer and tomorrow we will take the final decision on the team and on the squad that is coming to Brentford,” Alonso said.

The Spaniard also indicated that Marco Palestra and Jordan Henderson could be assessed ahead of the match, with final decisions to be made after training.

“Tomorrow is the final decision,” Alonso said. “Sorry to repeat myself, but before the players know we need to assess all the positions with the last training and tomorrow we will make the decision for the game in Brentford.”

Chelsea travel to the Gtech Community Stadium for Friday’s 8pm kick-off, hoping to return to winning ways after their 2-2 draw with Hull City last weekend.

With several key players facing late fitness tests, Alonso will have to wait until the final stages of preparation before naming his squad for the Brentford encounter.