Chelsea face growing injury concerns before Carabao Cup tie at Liverpool

Chelsea will be without several key players for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup meeting with Liverpool at Anfield, while the fitness of Brazil forward Joao Pedro remains uncertain.

A quarter-final place is at stake in the tie, which comes after Chelsea’s disappointing 2-0 defeat by Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. That result ended their run of successive victories since the extended international break.

Xabi Alonso’s squad will then face Manchester United on Saturday, increasing the demands on the manager as he assesses the players available to him.

Joao Pedro picked up an injury during training at Cobham on Friday. The problem caused a build-up of fluid, meaning he could not have an immediate scan, and Chelsea are waiting for further medical tests to determine its severity.

“We don’t know yet because he has a lot of fluid,” Alonso said when asked about the forward.

“He felt it yesterday and we need to wait probably until tomorrow to do the test and to know the whole situation and the whole seriousness of the injury. We will know soon enough.”

The Brazilian has already been troubled by a knee injury this season. He missed Chelsea’s defeat by Brentford and saw a specialist during the international break.

Goalkeeper Emi Martinez will also miss the match after undergoing surgery on a fractured jaw sustained in a collision with Everton. He is expected to be out for several weeks, with Mike Penders likely to deputise.

Chelsea captain Reece James is facing a longer absence. The defender underwent minor surgery on a knee problem and is expected to require about three months to recover.

Pep Chavarria could provide a boost after returning to partial training. He may be available for one of Chelsea’s two matches this week, although it remains unclear whether he will feature against Liverpool or Manchester United.

Jamie Gittens and Emmanuel Emegha were both unavailable for Saturday’s defeat by Tottenham and remain part of the selection concerns facing Alonso.

Cole Palmer’s late dismissal against Tottenham presents an additional problem for Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Manchester United. His suspension means Chelsea’s options will be further restricted for that fixture.

The immediate focus, however, is on the trip to Anfield, where Chelsea must negotiate their growing list of absentees in order to reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.