Joao Pedro Blow for Chelsea: Forward Set to Miss Several Weeks

Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has confirmed that Joao Pedro will be out for several weeks ahead of the EFL Cup round of 16 tie against Liverpool.

Joao Pedro, Chelsea's most in-form player this season, has been directly involved in eight goals (five goals, three assists) in six Premier League appearances. Only Erling Haaland (9) and Alexander Isak (6) have scored more league goals than the Brazilian star this season, while only Haaland is ahead of Pedro in the goal contributions chart.

The extent of the thigh injury that kept Joao Pedro out of the weekend defeat to Tottenham has now become clear. Speaking about his player's condition, Alonso said: "He has a thigh injury and will be out for a few weeks. We'll see the exact timeframe; we don't want to give a precise estimate yet, but he will definitely not be available for the upcoming games. He is a key player for us and we will miss him. But we have to deal with this injury, stay competitive and look to win with the squad we have, starting with the cup game against Liverpool. That's the situation, and we are ready to fight and show that we are at a good level."

The last two League Cup meetings between Liverpool and Chelsea came in finals, with the Reds lifting the trophy on penalties on both occasions (2021-22 and 2023-24). Over the last two seasons, Chelsea's League Cup matches have produced more goals than those of any other team (31 goals - 19 scored, 12 conceded). In this season's third round, the Blues came from 2-0 down to beat Leeds United 6-3.

Alonso, who handed Morgan Rogers a start up front against Tottenham, could opt for a different choice at Anfield. Emmanuel Emegha, who joined in the summer transfer window, could make his first appearance in the Liverpool game.

Also assessing Emegha, Alonso said: "Having him available is very important for us because he has special qualities. He needs to feel completely fit. He has been training well for about 10 days and that period has allowed him to build a strong physical base. Against Tottenham we tried something by playing Morgan close to Cole Palmer; sometimes you have to be creative and try different things to see whether they work. I try to pick the best team for every game by assessing all the options we have, what we have done during the week and the qualities of our players. That was the case on Saturday, and it will be the same on Wednesday."