"Tomorrow we have the last training session before Sunday and we will decide [then]," said Xabi Alonso as Chelsea left two important calls hanging over Sunderland vs Chelsea. Emiliano Martínez is in contention after jaw surgery, while Moisés Caicedo has become a late doubt after discomfort following the Manchester United win.
Martinez's return to contention
Martínez has missed Chelsea's last three games across all competitions after surgery on a broken jaw. The injury came in a collision with Jarrad Branthwaite in the win over Everton last month, and Chelsea trained at Cobham on Wednesday with Martínez wearing a protective face mask.
Alonso said there is a chance the goalkeeper is available, but he also made clear that the club will wait before deciding. If Martínez is ready, he is likely to need the mask again. He has already made 6 Premier League appearances for Chelsea this season, so this is not a case of easing him in from the edge of the squad.
Caicedo's late check and the wider injury list
Caicedo's situation is different because the issue is fresh. Alonso said he had "little problems after the last game" and that Chelsea will check him again before Sunday. Caicedo has made only 5 Premier League appearances this season and has played 355 Premier League minutes, so any discomfort is a real concern for a midfielder Chelsea have had to manage carefully.
Chelsea are also still without João Pedro, Maxence Lacroix and Aarón Anselmino remains outside the selection picture, although he was not part of Alonso's Sunderland update. Alonso said João Pedro and Lacroix are not expected for Sunday, while Jorrel Hato is not fit and will need some more weeks before he is available again.
That leaves Chelsea waiting on one goalkeeper who may be fit enough to return and one midfielder who has just picked up a problem. The final answer comes after the last training session, and the first test is Sunderland vs Chelsea on Sunday.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
