Alonso Confirms Absence of Caicedo and Palestra for Luton Clash

Chelsea will go into their Carabao Cup second‑round clash with Luton Town without two of their headline names, as Xabi Alonso ruled out Moises Caicedo and Marco Palestra for Thursday night’s game.

Both players already missed the 3–2 Premier League win over Fulham on the opening weekend, and Alonso made it clear in his pre‑match press conference that their wait for a first appearance of the season will continue.

“Not for tomorrow, both won’t make it [against Luton],” the Chelsea head coach said when asked about Caicedo and Palestra.

There is at least a glimmer of optimism over Caicedo’s short‑term prospects. Alonso is hopeful the midfielder could be back in contention for league duty in a matter of days, though Palestra’s situation looks slightly more uncertain.

“Let’s see, hopefully Moi could make it for the weekend, but we need to check a little bit more with Marco,” Alonso explained.

The rest of the squad, though, is in far healthier shape. Those involved against Fulham have come through unscathed, giving Alonso a strong core to lean on as he balances rotation with the need to keep momentum.

“Otherwise, everyone from Monday is okay, Cole [Palmer] is absolutely fine. Penders is part of the squad, so he has an opportunity.”

With Palmer cleared and Penders drafted into the group, Alonso still has room to refresh his side without completely dismantling the structure that edged Fulham. The absences of Caicedo and Palestra may tweak the plan, but they won’t derail it.

Luton arrive knowing Chelsea’s midfield will look different again. The question now is who seizes the opening that those two empty shirts have just created.