Xabi Alonso has insisted that he still trusts Chelsea centre-back Wesley Fofana despite his rough night at Anfield in mid-week.

It is unfair to solely blame Fofana for Chelsea’s Carabao Cup exit following a penalty loss to Liverpool in the fourth round on Wednesday, but the defender certainly played a big part.

His handball gave Liverpool the opportunity to level the score through a Cody Gakpo penalty in the first half, and in the end, it was Fofana’s wide attempt that sealed Liverpool’s win in the shoot-out.

However, Maxence Lacroix and Jorrel Hato’s injuries, as well as Aaron Anselmino's, have left Alonso with few available centre-back options. As one of them, Fofana is likely to play a more prominent role in the next few weeks and must, therefore, shake off the disappointing defeat to Liverpool.

Alonso has even come to the France international defence, praising Fofana’s overall defensive performance in the Carabao Cup tie.

“With Max’s injury, we have Wes, we have Levi (Colwill), Josh (Acheampong) – he could play as well as a centre-back – and Jorrel when he’s back with the team,” Alonso said about his centre-back options in Friday’s press conference.

“But for sure, Wes has played– even though he missed the penalty, I think he had a good game.

“He was consistent, strong, and I saw many positives from his performance. We know the level that he has had, and he’s going to be important.”

It is worth noting that the cup tie against Liverpool was Fofana’s first appearance for Chelsea since the previous international break. He was left unused on the bench in the last three games prior to this.

Instead, Alonso mostly opted for the more versatile Acheampong, who can operate as both a centre-back and a right full-back, to play alongside Lacroix and Colwill.

Obviously, if Alonso decides to use a back three against Manchester United on Saturday, Fofana will almost certainly be in the starting XI. However, this would leave Chelsea with no senior back-up centre-back, with academy star Tayo Subuloye as the only alternative option.

If Alonso opts for a back four, Fofana may still keep his starting spot, but the manager also has the choice to use Malo Gusto or Marco Palestra at right-back and pair Colwill with Acheampong centrally.

Chelsea will have a week between the Manchester United game and the trip to Sunderland, so rotation should not be a big concern. As Alonso pointed out, there is also a possibility that Hato could be back to face Sunderland.

That said, Hato has rarely played as a centre-back in a back four, prefers to be on the left on the back three, where Colwill usually operates. The right-footed Fofana and Acheampong, on the other hand, predominantly play on the right side.