Joao Pedro and Levi Colwill have been left out of the Chelsea squad for tonight's Premier League clash against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge. The Brazilian forward, who was recently omitted from Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil squad for the upcoming World Cup, does not even make the bench for manager Calum McFarlane's side.
According to BBC Sport, Pedro's absence is due to a 'knock'. The former Brighton star has been Chelsea's top scorer this season with 20 goals in his debut campaign for the club. Colwill, who played the full 90 minutes in Saturday's FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City, is also absent due to 'load management'. Malo Gusto is also out, with Reece James named among the substitutes. Liam Delap leads the line in place of Pedro, while Jesse Derry returns to the bench after a recent head injury.
Chelsea have not disclosed any official reason for Pedro's absence. This comes hours after his shocking exclusion from Brazil's World Cup squad, with Ancelotti opting for a 34-year-old Neymar, along with Lyon's Endrick and Zenit St Petersburg's Luiz Henrique.
Pedro responded to the snub on social media, saying: 'I tried to give my best at all times. Unfortunately, it wasn't possible to fulfil this dream of representing my country in a World Cup, but I remain calm and focused, as I always try to be. Joys and frustrations are part of football. From now on, I wish good luck to everyone who is there. I will be just another fan cheering for them to bring the sixth title home.'
More to follow.
