By OkayGoal
Chelsea star Joao Pedro was left out of the matchday squad for Saturday’s meeting with Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge after sustaining an injury in training.
The forward’s absence is a major blow for the Blues following a strong start to the season which has seen him register five goals and three assists in the opening seven Premier League games.
Xabi Alonso says Pedro requires tests to determine the extent of the injury and how long he will spend on the sidelines.
Chelsea injury latest as Pedro and Martinez miss Spurs
“Yesterday in training he felt something, and at the moment he has some liquid, so we have to do some tests to know how big the injury is. It’s disappointing, but we need to carry on,” the Spaniard told Sky Sports.
Alonso surprisingly chose to give winger Geovany Quenda an opportunity in the frontline alongside Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers, rather than replace Pedro with veteran striker Danny Welbeck.
“He has many qualities. He attacks space well, he’s good with the ball, he’s goal threat and he’s been training well.
“All the players will have their opportunity. Sometimes they need to be patient. Geo has been and today it’s a big game to make your debut as a starter.”
Meanwhile, Mike Penders makes his first start for Chelsea after Emi Martinez fractured his jaw against Everton last week. The goalkeeper successfully underwent surgery and, though Alonso did not give an exact prognosis, could return in a matter of weeks rather than months.
“He’s doing better,” said Alonso. “He had surgery and is feeling better day by day, but we still have to wait.
“It’ll be a few weeks. Hopefully less than more, we have to wait but the good thing is he’s feeling better and we have to listen to the opinion of the doctor and the surgeons.
“Considering it was a bad one, he’s doing good.”
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