In west London, Chelsea’s preparations for the short trip to Brentford have been clouded by conflicting accounts over João Pedro’s fitness, with the Brazilian forward facing uncertainty on club and international duty.
The news from the club
Xabi Alonso said on Thursday that João Pedro has not yet been ruled out of Friday’s Premier League match at Brentford. Chelsea’s coach indicated that the striker still has “a possibility” of featuring, with a final decision to be taken on matchday.
That position differs sharply from reports in Brazil, which state that João Pedro has suffered a knee oedema linked to sprains of both the anterior cruciate ligament and the medial collateral ligament. Under that account, he could be absent for around three and a half weeks.
The uncertainty surfaced after Brazil removed João Pedro from their squad for the coming international window on Wednesday. He was initially withdrawn because of physical discomfort and replaced by Fluminense midfielder Matheus Martinelli.
Brazil are due to play two friendlies against Australia, scheduled for 25 and 29 September. Chelsea had initially maintained that João Pedro was not carrying an injury and remained in contention for the visit to Brentford, but the Brazilian report has now placed the extent of the problem in doubt.
A decision before the Brentford trip
Chelsea travel across the capital for Friday’s fifth-round Premier League fixture still awaiting clarity on whether João Pedro can be involved. Alonso’s assessment on the day of the game will determine whether the forward is available or whether Brazil’s more serious diagnosis proves closer to the mark.
