Chelsea head to Anfield on Wednesday night with a mounting absentee list — Joao Pedro a doubt, Cole Palmer suspended and two senior names out long-term — but Xabi Alonso has already made one decision clear: Mike Penders starts in goal against Liverpool.
The Carabao Cup fourth-round tie offers Chelsea an immediate chance to respond to Saturday's 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham, a result covered in our Chelsea 0-2 Tottenham report. Instead, Alonso travels to his former club with his squad stretched in almost every line, and with Manchester United waiting at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Pedro doubt and Palmer ban hit Chelsea's attack
Joao Pedro missed the Tottenham game after suffering an injury in training at Cobham on Friday, and his availability for Anfield remains uncertain. As SABC Sport reported, a build-up of fluid initially prevented immediate scans, with further assessments needed to establish the extent of the problem.
"We don't know yet because he has a lot of fluid," Alonso said when asked about Pedro. "He felt it yesterday and we need to wait probably until tomorrow to do the test and to know the whole situation and the whole seriousness of the injury. We will know soon enough."
Pedro has already struggled with knee trouble this season, missing the Brentford defeat and consulting a specialist during the international break, so Chelsea will not rush him. They will also be without Cole Palmer, who serves a one-match suspension after his dismissal against Tottenham — a ban that applies across domestic competitions and rules him out at Anfield before he returns for United.
Alonso backs Penders after Tottenham error
In goal, Emiliano Martinez remains out after surgery for the fractured jaw he suffered in a collision against Everton, leaving the 21-year-old Penders as the man in possession. Penders endured a difficult full debut against Tottenham, accidentally punching the ball into his own net to give Spurs the lead.
Alonso, however, has refused to drop him. As Liverpool.com reported from Alonso's comments to Chelsea's official website, the manager said: "It's part of the business; you need to deal with mistakes and we keep confidence in Mike [Penders] and he will be in goal against Liverpool. We win and we lose together and it's part of the job to deal with mistakes, myself as well as everyone. We support Mike."
That backing matters. Liverpool's own attacking news is brighter, with Florian Wirtz playing down his ankle twist in our Wirtz update ahead of the same tie — so Penders can expect a busy night at Anfield whether Pedro is fit or not.
So what does the absentee list mean?
The problems do not stop there. Captain Reece James is a long-term absentee, expected to spend around three months recovering after minor knee surgery. Jamie Gittens and Emmanuel Emegha were also unavailable against Tottenham, while Pep Chavarria could return after resuming partial training.
For Alonso, this is a squad-management test as much as a cup tie. Chelsea have won four, drawn one and lost three of their eight Premier League matches, and the next four days — Liverpool away in the cup, then United at home in the league — will shape how his early reign is judged. Rotate too much and the cup run ends; go too strong and Saturday's league game suffers with a squad already short of senior bodies.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Alonso is right to stand by Penders — dropping a 21-year-old goalkeeper for one error would destroy the confidence Chelsea need from him while Martinez recovers. But backing youth only works if the senior players around him step up, and with Pedro doubtful and Palmer banned, Chelsea's Anfield trip is now a test of depth, not just character. Can Chelsea win at Anfield without Palmer and possibly Pedro, or is this one absentee too many?