Xabi Alonso revealed Joao Pedro will "be out for a few weeks" ahead of Chelsea's EFL Cup last-16 clash with Liverpool.
Joao Pedro 'out for a few weeks', confirms Chelsea boss Alonso
Chelsea face Liverpool in the EFL Cup round of 16, but will be without top scorer Joao Pedro due to a thigh injury.
Joao Pedro has been Chelsea's top performer this season, directly contributing to eight goals (five goals, three assists) in six Premier League.
Only Erling Haaland (nine) and Alexander Isak (six) have scored more in the English top-flight than Joao Pedro this term, and only Haaland (nine) has directly contributed to more goals than the Brazilian.
However, Joao Pedro missed Chelsea's defeat to Tottenham on the weekend, and Alonso has now revealed the extent of the thigh injury.
"He has an injury in his thigh and he's going to be out for a few weeks," said Alonso about Joao Pedro.
"Let’s see how many; we don't want to predict that. But he will not be ready for the next games.
"He is a key player and we will miss him, but we have to be ready to deal with the injury, be competitive and try to win games with the players we have available, starting against Liverpool, a cup game.
"This is the situation and we are ready to fight for it and prove we can show a good level."
The last two EFL Cup meetings between Liverpool and Chelsea have been in finals, with the Reds lifting the trophy in both 2021-22 and 2023-24 after winning on penalties.
In the last two seasons, Chelsea's EFL Cup matches have seen the most goals of any side (31 – 19 scored, 12 conceded), with their third-round tie against Leeds United this season seeing them come from 2-0 down to win 6-3.
Alonso played Morgan Rogers in the striker role against Spurs, but the Spaniard could opt for a different option at Anfield, with summer arrival Emmanuel Emegha potentially in line for a debut.
"For sure it's important that we have him available because he has special qualities," added Alonso of Emegha.
"He needs to feel fully fit. He has been training for the last two weeks, ten days, in a good way that has allowed him to build a strong base of fitness.
"We tried with Morgan playing close to Cole [Palmer], and sometimes we need to be creative and try a few things to see if they are going to work well.
"I assess all the possibilities we have and what we have been preparing during the week, and with the qualities all players have, to choose the best team for each game. That was the case for Saturday and that is the case for Wednesday."
