Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso is hopeful that midfielder Moises Caicedo will be fit enough to make his first competitive appearance of the season when the Blues host Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
Chelsea will welcome Fabian Hurzeler’s side to Stamford Bridge in their second Premier League fixture of the 2026/27 campaign and first at home, with Alonso’s team aiming to maintain their perfect start to the season.
The Blues have already enjoyed victories over Fulham and Luton with Thursday’s Carabao Cup win over Luton securing their place in the third round. Danny Welbeck’s header and Hakeem Odoffin’s own goal handed Chelsea a 2-0 victory.
Caicedo has missed Chelsea’s opening two matches after suffering a setback in training shortly before the start of the campaign.
His absence has forced Alonso to explore different options in midfield as he continues to shape his team.
Reece James has been one of those options, with the Chelsea captain deployed in midfield in both of the club’s opening games.
James partnered Romeo Lavia against Fulham before lining up alongside Valentine Barco against Luton, highlighting Alonso’s willingness to experiment while Caicedo remains unavailable.
Alonso Waiting on Caicedo Fitness Test
The Spanish manager is now hoping Caicedo can train on Friday and give himself a chance of featuring against his former club Brighton on Sunday.
“He is hopefully training on Friday and we are hopeful that he can be involved against Brighton. But we need to check. No decision has been made.”
Xabi Alonso, Chelsea manager
Caicedo’s return would provide a major boost to Chelsea’s midfield and potentially allow Alonso to settle on a more natural midfield structure.
The Ecuadorian has yet to play a competitive match under the Spanish manager since Alonso took charge.
Alonso will also assess Levi Colwill and Geovany Quenda, who were left out of the Carabao Cup victory over Luton.
The Chelsea boss insisted neither player was carrying an injury, explaining that both were being carefully managed during a demanding opening week. “With Levi, after his injury last season, he is still in a period where he has to take the right steps. We don’t want to push him too much,” Alonso explained.
Levi Colwill and Quenda are expected to resume training ahead of Sunday’s fixture and could come back into contention for the Brighton clash.
Fofana Could Return, Henderson Still Waiting
Wesley Fofana is another player who could return to the squad after serving the second game of his two-match suspension against Luton. The French center back was shown a red card in Chelsea’s final game in the Premier League in a 2-1 defeat to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
Meanwhile, summer signing Jordan Henderson may have to wait a little longer for his Chelsea debut. Alonso confirmed that the club are still waiting for the midfielder to receive the “green light to play soon” following the injury he sustained during the World Cup.
For Alonso, however, the biggest boost would be having Caicedo available. After relying on James and other alternatives during Chelsea’s opening fixtures, the manager will be hoping the Ecuadorian is finally ready to make his competitive debut under his new coach against the club where he made his name.
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