Xabi Alonso has made the position clear before Chelsea's Carabao Cup tie with Leeds: Marco Palestra and Moisés Caicedo are still not ready, and the club will not take what he called an early risk. Chelsea host Leeds at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
Alonso's caution with both players
"No. Not yet. Still not ready to go. Not the moment to take a too-early risk. We go game by game with them. It's too early," Alonso said to the Standard. Football Italia reported the same message, with Alonso saying, "They are still not ready to go, and it's not the moment to take an early risk."
The club have had only a brief look at Caicedo after his latest setback. He lasted just 14 minutes on his return against Brighton before being taken off injured, and he has made only one Premier League appearance this season, with 14 minutes in the league. Chelsea also had him missing for the first two games of the season and the 2-1 defeat to Arsenal.
Palestra's wait for a debut
Palestra's case is even simpler. He has not played a competitive match for Chelsea yet, despite a positive pre-season and a sizeable summer arrival. Alonso said it was "especially frustrating" for him because he came in with "huge energy" and "huge desire to enjoy his game in the Premier League", only to pick up an injury a few days before the first game against Fulham.
That leaves Chelsea with another decision point after Leeds. Their next Premier League fixture is at home to Hull City on September 12, 2026, but Alonso has already ruled out using the cup tie as a shortcut back for either player. Levi Colwill has already moved further on, with 72 Premier League minutes this season, while Caicedo and Palestra are still being handled more carefully.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
