Chelsea will be without midfielder Moises Caicedo for their Premier League match against Hull City at Stamford Bridge this afternoon, with head coach Xabi Alonso confirming the Ecuador international is not in the squad. Caicedo has yet to start a game for the Blues this season after picking up an injury in the days before the opening fixture against Fulham.
The midfielder was named on the bench for the match against Brighton and was brought on in the second half against his former club. However, just 14 minutes after coming on, he aggravated the injury and was forced off, which also ruled him out of last weekend's game against Arsenal.
Caicedo's injury and midfield options
Speaking on Friday, Alonso confirmed Caicedo will not be available for the Hull match, with a possible return date set for next weekend's fixture against Brentford. The Blues are also without Jordan Henderson, who is still recovering from the wrist injury he suffered while on international duty with England at the World Cup. Summer signing Marco Palestra is also unavailable for selection.
Romeo Lavia has made a strong start to the season, but Caicedo's absence has left him without a regular partner in midfield. Reece James is expected to continue in that role, having started in the middle of the park against Arsenal in the previous outing.
Defensive updates and team news
Levi Colwill was an unused substitute in the match at the Emirates but returned to the starting lineup for the Carabao Cup tie against Leeds United in midweek. The centre-half was substituted after 76 minutes and went straight down the tunnel, but Alonso eased concerns over any fresh injury issues for the 23-year-old.
The match against Hull City is scheduled to kick off at 3pm this afternoon (Saturday 12 September). Due to the kick-off time, the game will not be broadcast live in the UK, but fans can follow all the action via Metro's live matchday blog.
