Alonso to celebrate Chelsea goals against Liverpool

Alonso returns to Anfield for the first time as Chelsea manager and says he will celebrate if the Blues score, while striker João Pedro is sidelined until after November's international break.

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso will return to Anfield on Wednesday for the Carabao Cup tie against his former club Liverpool. When asked how he would react if Chelsea scored, Alonso confirmed he would celebrate, saying: "Of course, I will celebrate, for sure. With full respect because for sure, my warmth with Liverpool was there as a player. But now, I am in a different role, I need to support my team, I need to support my club, I fight for my club and if we score, I will celebrate with whole respect."

Alonso joined Chelsea over the summer instead of Liverpool, a decision he attributed to "timings". He had been on Liverpool's radar following his successful spell at Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in his first season as a top-level manager. This will be his third return to Anfield as a visiting manager, having previously visited with Real Madrid and Leverkusen.

Alonso also confirmed that striker João Pedro is likely to remain sidelined until after the international break in November.