Big problem for Xabi Alonso

Chelsea's Joao Pedro suffered a thigh injury in training and will miss several weeks, manager Xabi Alonso confirmed.

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso announced that Brazilian forward Joao Pedro has sustained a thigh injury during Friday's training session and will be sidelined for several weeks. Alonso told reporters ahead of Chelsea's League Cup round-of-16 tie at Liverpool: "He has a thigh injury and will be out for a few weeks. We'll see how many; we don't want to make predictions, but he won't be ready for the upcoming matches."

Joao Pedro missed Chelsea's 2-0 Premier League defeat to Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on Saturday due to the injury. The Brazilian has been in excellent form this season with five goals and three assists in seven appearances across all competitions. Despite the significant absence, Alonso expressed confidence in Chelsea's squad depth to cope without him. Chelsea face Liverpool in the League Cup tomorrow before hosting Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday.