Xabi Alonso Confirms Joao Pedro and Lacroix Out for Sunderland Trip
Chelsea will head to the Stadium of Light on Sunday without Joao Pedro and Maxence Lacroix, as Xabi Alonso confirmed the injured pair will play no part in the Premier League meeting with bottom‑club Sunderland.
Both missed last weekend’s 2-0 win over a 10-man Manchester United and remain sidelined, leaving Alonso to navigate one more fixture before the international break with a stretched squad.
No quick fixes for Pedro and Lacroix
Joao Pedro’s absence has been particularly frustrating for Chelsea. The forward was a late withdrawal from the squad for the home defeat to Tottenham, having suffered a thigh injury in training on the eve of that game. He then sat out the United win and will again watch from the stands on Wearside.
Lacroix’s situation looks even more delicate. The defender limped off late in the first half of the Carabao Cup penalty shoot-out defeat to Liverpool with a suspected hamstring problem, one that has already been described as potentially keeping him out “for quite some time.”
Asked on Friday for clarity on their recovery timelines, Alonso cut straight to the point.
“No, not really updates,” he said. “For sure, we are not expecting them for [Sunday].
“Let’s see after the international break the recovery that they [have] made. Ahead of the Leeds game, I will have more [news] but not today.”
Chelsea face Leeds at home on November 21, their first outing after the two-week international pause that begins once this weekend’s fixtures are completed. That date now stands as the earliest realistic checkpoint for any meaningful progress on Pedro and Lacroix.
Late calls on Martinez and Caicedo
If Pedro and Lacroix are out of the equation, there is at least some room for optimism elsewhere.
Saturday’s training session, the final one before the trip to Sunderland, will double as an audition for Emi Martinez and Moises Caicedo as they push to prove their fitness.
Martinez has been working his way back after jaw surgery, while Caicedo reported discomfort following his outing against United. Both remain in contention, but Alonso will not take unnecessary risks with the break looming.
The decision now hinges on how they come through that last workout at Cobham. Any setback, and the manager will be forced into more reshuffling for a game Chelsea are expected to control but cannot afford to underestimate.
Hato ruled out for weeks
One player Alonso will definitely not be able to call on is Jorrel Hato. The Dutch defender has been ruled out for several more weeks.
“No, no, no — he is not fit,” Alonso said. “It will take him some more weeks to be fit.”
So Chelsea travel north chasing momentum, shorn of key pieces and leaning on those still standing. One more match to get through, one more result to secure, before the international break offers a pause — and perhaps, for Alonso, the chance to finally see a fuller squad on the other side.
