Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has confirmed that Joao Pedro and Maxence Lacroix will both miss Sunday's Premier League match against Sunderland, with updates on their recoveries expected after the international break.
Both players were absent from Chelsea's 2-0 win over 10-man Manchester United last Saturday, and neither will feature in the matchday squad for the trip to the Stadium of Light. The game against the league's bottom side is Chelsea's final fixture before the international break.
Injury details and recovery timelines
Joao Pedro was a surprise absentee from Chelsea's home loss to Tottenham after picking up a thigh injury in training on the eve of that match, and he subsequently missed the United game. Lacroix limped off late in the first half of the Carabao Cup penalty shoot-out defeat to Liverpool with a suspected hamstring injury that has been reported could keep him out for some time.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday afternoon, Alonso said: "No, not really updates. For sure, we are not expecting them for [Sunday]. Let's see after the international break the recovery that they [have] made. Ahead of the Leeds game, I will have more [news] but not today."
Other fitness concerns ahead of Sunderland
The home game against Leeds on November 21 is Chelsea's first match after the two-week international break. Saturday's training session will be the last before the Sunderland game and will determine whether Emi Martinez and Moises Caicedo are fit to play. Martinez has been recovering from jaw surgery, while Caicedo felt discomfort after the United match.
Jorrel Hato, however, will not be available. "No, no, no — he is not fit," Alonso said of the Dutchman. "It will take him some more weeks to be fit."
