League: EPL Sport: Soccer Country: England Category: Injuries

Alonso discusses Penders' possible start and injury updates for Chelsea

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 26, 2026, 12:55 PM

Last updated Aug 26, 2026

Alonso discusses Penders' possible start and injury updates for Chelsea

Summary

Xabi Alonso addressed the press ahead of Chelsea’s League Cup match against Luton while not confirming Mike Penders as the starting goalkeeper. Penders aims to take over from Robert Sanchez following Sanchez's recent mistakes. Meanwhile, Alonso indicated that Marco Palestra and Moises Caicedo will miss the cup game due to injuries, with Caicedo potentially returning for the weekend's match against Brighton. Alonso emphasized the importance of keeping the squad competitive as they prepare for upcoming challenges.

Source Links

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Status Watch

•Alonso did not confirm Penders as the starter against Luton.
•Caicedo and Palestra are unavailable for the League Cup match.
•Penders may replace Sanchez after recent errors.
•Caicedo might return for Chelsea's weekend match against Brighton.

Latest Updates

12:55 PMYahoo Sports — Alonso answers questions about Penders start; gives Caicedo and Palestra injury update

What they're saying

"
Xabi Alonso didn’t confirm that Mike Penders would start tomorrow night against Luton, but he didn’t deny it either.If you enjoy Talk Chelsea coverage and want to see more of it, add us as a prefe...
— Yahoo Sports

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