Xabi Alonso Rules Out Moises Caicedo for Carabao Cup Tie
Xabi Alonso has ruled Moises Caicedo out of Chelsea’s Carabao Cup tie against Leeds, insisting he will not gamble on the midfielder’s fitness again.
Caicedo, who missed the opening two league games against Fulham and Luton, made his return as a substitute in the chaotic 4-3 win over Brighton. His comeback lasted just 14 minutes. The Ecuador captain was forced off, a sharp jolt to Chelsea’s plans and to a player expected to anchor their midfield this season.
He then sat out Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Arsenal. In the aftermath at the Emirates, Alonso openly admitted Chelsea had pushed Caicedo back too quickly for the Brighton match and vowed not to repeat “the same mistake again”.
That promise is now being kept.
Speaking on Tuesday afternoon ahead of Wednesday night’s tie at Stamford Bridge, Alonso was blunt when asked if Caicedo was available: “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.”
The message was clear: Chelsea want Caicedo back, but not at any cost.
There is some optimism, though. When pressed on whether the midfielder could return against Hull, Alonso left the door open. “Potentially, yes. But we need to wait and probably Thursday or Friday we will know more,” he said, pointing to a decision later in the week as the next key checkpoint.
Chelsea’s midfield will not be the only area patched up. Jordan Henderson and Emmanuel Emegha have also been ruled out of the Leeds clash, tightening Alonso’s options as he looks to navigate a demanding early schedule.
There is better news elsewhere in the squad. Levi Colwill is available again, a significant boost to a defence that has already been stretched. But Marco Palestra remains sidelined, his promising start at the club stalled before it even began.
“Especially for (Palestra). He came with huge energy, huge desire to enjoy his game in the PL,” Alonso said. “He had a very good pre-season. Right in the days before Fulham, he picked up an injury. We will need him, for sure. He will add a lot of good potential for the team.”
For now, Chelsea must do without him as well. The bench that looked deep in July has thinned out by early September.
Leeds arrive with far fewer problems. They boast close to a clean bill of health, with only Daniel James needing a late fitness check as he battles nagging back and hamstring issues. For a one-off cup tie against a rotated but still heavyweight Chelsea side, that matters.
Alonso, though, has nailed his colours to the mast: no shortcuts with Caicedo, no repeat of Brighton. The question now is whether Chelsea can survive the cup test without their midfield leader, or whether this cautious call shapes the early narrative of their season.
