Chelsea's João Pedro and Reece James Could Play Against Brentford

Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has said that João Pedro and Reece James might play in Friday’s Premier League match against Brentford, even though there are worries about their fitness.

João Pedro left the Brazil squad for the international break due to an injury. Reece James also missed the start of Chelsea’s training session on Tuesday.

Despite this, Alonso has not ruled out either player for the west London derby. Chelsea will make their final decisions after their last training session.

In a statement from Chelsea’s website on Friday, Alonso said, “In terms of injuries and in terms of the squad we are having the last training session tomorrow so no-one is ruled out for us for Friday.”

Alonso urged everyone to be careful about João Pedro’s situation but confirmed that the Brazilian forward might still play against Brentford.

“I prefer to be cautious and we will wait until tomorrow to take the final decision on every player,” he added.

“We will see tomorrow if Joao is ready to play, it’s a possibility.”

João Pedro has had a great start to the season, scoring three goals and providing three assists in four Premier League matches. His possible return would be a big boost for Alonso’s team.

On Reece James, who raised concerns after missing part of Tuesday’s training, Alonso downplayed the importance of his absence.

“For Reece, it was just a decision for Tuesday and we see his development and tomorrow we will decide,” he said.

Chelsea are also keeping an eye on midfielder Moisés Caicedo, who has been recovering from an injury.

“He’s getting closer and tomorrow we will take the final decision on the team and on the squad that is coming to Brentford,” Alonso said.

Alonso also mentioned that Marco Palestra and Jordan Henderson could be looked at before the match, with final decisions to be made after training.

“Tomorrow is the final decision,” Alonso said. “Sorry to repeat myself, but before the players know we need to assess all the positions with the last training and tomorrow we will make the decision for the game in Brentford.”

Chelsea will travel to the Gtech Community Stadium for Friday’s 8pm kick-off. They hope to get back to winning after their 2-2 draw with Hull City last weekend.

With several key players facing late fitness tests, Alonso will have to wait until the last moments of preparation before naming his squad for the match against Brentford.