Chelsea have suffered a fresh Moises Caicedo injury scare after the midfielder lasted only 14 minutes on his return during Sunday’s dramatic 4-3 victory over Brighton.
Caicedo had missed Chelsea’s opening Premier League win over Fulham and Thursday’s Carabao Cup victory against Luton following an injury setback in training.
ReadChelsea reported before the game that Caicedo had only recently returned to training ahead of the Brighton clash, leaving Xabi Alonso with a late decision over whether to involve him.
The Chelsea head coach ultimately named the Ecuador international among the substitutes, with Caicedo starting on the bench in Chelsea’s confirmed XI against Brighton.
His comeback then ended almost as quickly as it began.
Moises Caicedo forced off on Chelsea return
Caicedo was introduced in the 68th minute as Alonso attempted to regain control after Brighton had fought back from 3-0 down to 3-2.
However, just 14 minutes later, the midfielder was unable to continue.
Yahoo Sports reports that Caicedo looked visibly upset as he left the pitch, briefly speaking with Alonso before heading directly down the tunnel.
Valentin Barco replaced him in the 82nd minute.
The nature and severity of the problem have not yet been confirmed, while it remains unclear whether Sunday’s issue is connected to the injury which kept Caicedo out of Chelsea’s opening matches.
That uncertainty makes the timing particularly concerning for Alonso.
Chelsea face anxious wait over Caicedo
Caicedo’s introduction had been one of three changes designed to stabilise Chelsea during a difficult second-half spell.
Alonso also introduced Reece James and Josh Acheampong as Brighton threatened to complete a remarkable comeback.
Cole Palmer subsequently restored Chelsea’s two-goal advantage, although Pascal Groß’s late header eventually made it 4-3.
ReadChelsea’s Chelsea 4-3 Brighton match report details how Alonso’s side survived that late scare to maintain their perfect Premier League start.
But Caicedo’s premature exit was the major concern to emerge from the victory.
TalkSPORT also reports that Caicedo’s comeback ended after only 14 minutes, with Chelsea now waiting to discover the extent of the problem.
Arsenal fixture increases Chelsea concern
The timing could hardly be worse.
Chelsea’s next Premier League fixture takes them to Arsenal, a game in which Caicedo would ordinarily be one of Alonso’s most important midfielders.
His ability to recover possession, defend transitions and give Chelsea greater control was precisely why Alonso turned to him when Brighton began dominating Sunday’s second half.
Chelsea will therefore hope his withdrawal was precautionary rather than the beginning of another spell on the sidelines.
For now, Alonso must wait for further medical assessment before discovering whether Caicedo will be available for the trip to Arsenal.
