EPL: Alonso Confirms Chelsea Stars Fit For Bournemouth Clash
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has confirmed that Reece James, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro are available for selection ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.
The trio returned to training during the extended international break, providing Chelsea with a boost as they prepare to resume their league campaign.
James and Joao Pedro missed Chelsea’s last outing against Brentford, while Palmer struggled with fitness issues before withdrawing from England duty.
Speaking ahead of the Bournemouth encounter on Friday, Alonso said the players had made encouraging progress during the break.
“They have all been able to train, some of them earlier than others,” he said.
“We knew that going into Brentford we had some players struggling, but they have trained well and are ready to go.”
On Palmer’s recovery, the Chelsea boss said the club had avoided rushing the England international back into action to ensure he was fully fit.
“He has trained the last week and has felt better. We didn’t want to rush because we had the time,” Alonso said.
“What is most important for Cole is to be fully fit and that he enjoys his game and is feeling okay.”
He added that Palmer had struggled during the Brentford game but expressed optimism about his prospects for the remainder of the season.
“In the Brentford game, we could see he was struggling and for the next part of the season we have a good feeling for him,” he said.
Chelsea have also received a boost in midfield, with Moises Caicedo declared fit after an injury-disrupted start to the season.
The Ecuadorian midfielder has made just one substitute appearance this season, but Alonso confirmed that he was ready to return to action.
“Yes, he is ready to go. We have used the time with Moi to get him back fit. He has been training well and he is okay to go,” the manager said.
Young defender Marco Palestra is also in contention for Saturday’s encounter after recovering from an injury sustained during the final week of pre-season. He is yet to make his competitive debut for the club.
However, Chelsea will be without winger Jamie Gittens, who suffered an ankle injury while on international duty with England’s Under-21 side.
“He is not going to be fit for tomorrow; that is the bad news from the international break,” Alonso said.
The Chelsea manager described the extended break as beneficial for his squad, although he admitted that the period away from competitive football had lasted longer than ideal.
“It has been positive for us, but probably too long,” he said.
Chelsea will now look to make the most of their improved squad availability when they host Bournemouth, with several key players returning to contention for the Premier League fixture.
