Moises Caicedo is a doubt for Chelsea's Premier League clash with Brighton this afternoon. The Blues secured a 3-2 win over Fulham in their west London derby on Monday night, but Caicedo missed that match after picking up a knock in training. He also sat out the Carabao Cup victory over Luton Town midweek.
Team news and fitness updates
Xabi Alonso was hopeful the Ecuador international would be able to return to training on Friday, with a late decision to be made on his fitness. Reece James and Romeo Lavia started in midfield against Fulham, with Enzo Fernandez left out of the starting XI.
Manchester City are expected to make their move for the Argentina international before Tuesday's transfer deadline, with Alonso deciding to leave him out of the squad midweek against Luton. It remains to be seen whether he will be involved in what could be a final send-off at Stamford Bridge.
Goalkeeper situation and defensive boost
Emiliano Martinez is expected to become Chelsea's new number one this season, with a £7.5million deal with Aston Villa agreed this week. After another poor performance from Robert Sanchez at Craven Cottage, Mike Penders kept a clean sheet against Luton midweek, with Alonso not revealing who will start in goal today.
Jordan Henderson and Marco Palestra are still out, but Alonso will have Wesley Fofana available again after completing the suspension he picked up on the final day of last season. Levi Colwill was not involved against Luton, but Alonso confirmed there are no issues with the centre-half.
Predicted XI and match details
It seems very unlikely that Fernandez will appear in Chelsea blue again, meaning there could be another midfield role for James. The Blues are still keeping a close eye on his fitness and game management after missing almost the entire 2025-26 season with an ACL injury.
Chelsea take on Brighton today (Sunday 30 August) with kick-off scheduled for 2pm. You can watch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event, with streaming also available through the Sky Go app and NOW TV for subscribers. You can also follow all the action with Metro's LIVE matchday blog from Stamford Bridge.
