Chelsea returned to winning ways on Saturday afternoon with a convincing 5-1 victory over Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge, but Reece James' latest injury setback could provide Xabi Alonso with a fresh selection headache.

The Blues welcomed back Moises Caicedo for his first start of the 2026/27 campaign, while Jordan Henderson marked his first home start with a brace. However, the absence of club captain Reece James raised questions over how Alonso will manage his options in the coming weeks.

After signing a new deal until 2034 earlier in the day, Cole Palmer quickly marked his new contract by setting up Henderson for the opener within two minutes.

The west London side quickly found themselves 2-0 up just a minute later as Morgan Rogers chipped the goalkeeper via a fortunate deflection.

It was yet another record-breaking afternoon at Stamford Bridge. Despite the attacking threat of Palmer, Rogers and Joao Pedro, Henderson stole the headlines by becoming the oldest Chelsea player to be involved in three or more Premier League goals. The former Brentford midfielder scored twice and registered an assist.

With Caicedo partnering Henderson in midfield, questions remained over the availability of Chelsea's club captain. The Cobham graduate was once again unavailable to Alonso, despite the Spaniard declaring in his press conference just 24 hours earlier that everyone had been training.

After Chelsea's 5-1 victory over the Cherries, reporters asked the 44-year-old about the extent of James' latest injury setback.

Alonso said: “He had some little issues with the knee, so we need to check how long it will be. We will assess it week by week.”

Given the return of Caicedo, and Henderson now seemingly back to full fitness, Alonso has plenty of options in James’ absence.

Romeo Lavia continues to be managed but is also becoming a serious option to deputise alongside Caicedo. Valentine Barco, who wasn’t in the latest matchday squad, has also been trusted in midfield on previous occasions.

A prolonged absence for James would be another blow for Chelsea. With the Blues crying out for experience in addition to quality, having the Englishman on the sidelines rather than in the heat of the action could be crucial in high-level encounters.

James also has the ability to play right-back or wing-back, but, just like in midfield, there is plenty of cover, with the likes of Josh Acheampong, Malo Gusto, Marco Palestra and even Pedro Neto able to play in his absence.

Caicedo and Henderson could provide adequate cover, but their own injury concerns make relying on both a potential risk for Alonso. With no Europe in west London, Alonso’s men now have around a week to prepare for the trip up north to take on Everton.

The month concludes with Tottenham Hotspur and then a week later against Manchester United on October 31 at Stamford Bridge. It remains to be seen if Chelsea’s captain will be available for either fixture.