Chelsea Transfer Target Fears Injury Blow As England Withdrawal Confirmed

Chelsea return to Premier League action on October 10 as the Blues host AFC Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge, their first match since the 3-0 defeat to west London rivals Brentford.

Xabi Alonso’s side have had plenty of injury issues to contend with heading into the international break. The likes of Moises Caicedo, Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer, Marco Palestra and Reece James remained at the Cobham training facility when all five would usually be with their respective national teams.

Palestra, at the very least, has been spotted in training, with images released by Chelsea’s in-house media team. The Italian has yet to make his competitive debut for the club since completing a £47 million move from Atalanta, having picked up a quad injury on the eve of the 2026/27 season. A question mark remains over the others in the build-up to the clash against the Cherries.

Alonso will be sweating over the availability of his players, given October sees the Blues take on Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester United in the space of a week towards the end of the month.

If the Bournemouth fixture is a step too early for Caicedo and even James, then Alonso may resort to using both Romeo Lavia and Jordan Henderson in a midfield pivot. The Spanish boss is in the midst of a defensive crisis, which has seen the Blues concede 12 goals in their opening five matches, the highest total in the division.

Chelsea’s upcoming opponents, Bournemouth, have a mini injury crisis of their own. Justin Kluivert, Julian Araujo and Eli Kroupi are long-term absentees for Marco Rose’s side. Doubts also surround the availability of both Veljko Milosavljevic and Amine Adli.

The south coast side have been handed an additional blow as England international and Chelsea target Alex Scott is set for a spell on the sidelines. According to talkSPORT, the 23-year-old is set to be out for at least two months, which would also see him miss the clash at Stamford Bridge.

Scott’s injury comes as a blow to Chelsea, as recent reports had suggested the Blues were leading the race for his signature in either January or the summer transfer window. The midfielder has yet to agree to new terms, with his current deal running until 2028.

With Cole Palmer withdrawing from Thomas Tuchel’s squad at the beginning of the international break, that decision may have turned into a smart one, as many of his England teammates have returned to their respective clubs with small knocks.

Plenty is at stake at Stamford Bridge as Alonso’s side head into the upcoming league fixture four points above the Cherries, and a victory would see that gap increase to seven.