Chelsea fitness boost as Caicedo, Palmer and James declared ready for Bournemouth

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso says Moises Caicedo is fully fit and available for Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Bournemouth, while Reece James, Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and Marco Palestra have also trained well and are ready to feature.

Chelsea face Bournemouth at home in the sixth round of the Premier League after the international break, with Alonso providing an update on his squad during his pre-match press conference.

“Moises Caicedo is completely ready,” said Alonso. “Any team would miss a player of his quality and importance. We certainly missed him, and we are happy that he is back and feeling better.

“We did not want to take the risk of involving him in the Brentford match, for example, but now he is feeling much better.”

Caicedo has played only 14 minutes so far this season, but Alonso confirmed that the midfielder has now recovered sufficiently to return to contention.

“Yes, he is completely ready. Finally,” the Chelsea manager said.

Alonso also reported positive news regarding several other senior players. Reece James, Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and Marco Palestra have all trained well and are available for selection against Bournemouth.

“We certainly understand that they are key and important players,” Alonso said.

Palmer has trained during the week and is feeling better, although Alonso stressed that the priority was ensuring the England international was fully fit before returning to action.

“The most important thing for him is to be in full fitness and to enjoy his performance on the pitch,” said Alonso.

There was, however, one negative update from the manager. Gittens will not be ready for Saturday’s match after suffering an ankle injury.

“Gittens will not be ready for tomorrow’s game, and that is the bad news,” Alonso said. “He suffered an ankle injury and will be out for a few weeks.”

Chelsea go into the match in 10th place in the Premier League, having taken seven points from their opening five matches.

Bournemouth are 17th with three points from their first five games, making Saturday’s fixture an opportunity for both sides to improve their league position. Chelsea will hope the return of Caicedo and the availability of several other key players can strengthen their squad after the international break, while Gittens remains absent because of his ankle problem.