Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has explained his decision to leave Estevao out of the starting lineup for Saturday’s match against Tottenham Hotspur, despite the absence of João Pedro forcing him to make changes to his attacking formation.

Pedro’s thigh injury has dealt Chelsea a significant blow, with the Brazilian forward expected to spend several weeks on the sidelines. His unavailability comes at a difficult time for the Blues, who are preparing for important encounters against Liverpool and Manchester United.

Following Pedro’s absence, Alonso opted to deploy Morgan Rogers in the central attacking role rather than introduce Danny Welbeck into the starting eleven. Although many supporters expected Estevao to occupy the number ten position, the Spanish manager selected Geovany Quenda instead.

The decision gave Quenda his first start for Chelsea, while Estevao began the match on the bench. The Brazilian winger eventually came on in the 72nd minute, replacing Quenda, but Chelsea conceded twice during the closing stages and suffered a disappointing defeat.

Ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup meeting with Liverpool at Anfield, Alonso was questioned about his decision to leave both Estevao and Welbeck out of the starting lineup against Tottenham.

The Chelsea manager defended his selection, explaining that he evaluates the players available to him and considers the team’s preparations before deciding on his starting eleven. He maintained that his choices are based on what he believes will work best for each particular opponent.

“I assess all the options we have, what we have been preparing all the week, to choose the best team for each game. That was the case on Saturday, and that is the case tomorrow,” Alonso said.

With Pedro injured and Cole Palmer also unavailable for the cup encounter, Estevao could have an opportunity to return to the starting lineup against Liverpool. The teenager has already featured from the beginning in Chelsea’s earlier Carabao Cup matches against Luton Town and Leeds United this season.

However, his involvement against Leeds ended at half-time during Chelsea’s entertaining 6-3 victory, leaving questions about how Alonso intends to manage his minutes in the competition.

Welbeck, Rogers and Estevao are among the players who could feature in Chelsea’s attacking line at Anfield. Alonso may also make changes elsewhere, with Wesley Fofana, Valentin Barco, Marco Palestra and Roméo Lavia among the potential candidates for starting roles.

The manager has faced criticism for making several changes at once in previous matches, including Chelsea’s disappointing first-half display against Leeds and their defeat to Brentford. Nevertheless, his selection options have been restricted by injuries and suspensions ahead of the Liverpool fixture.

Alongside Pedro and Palmer, Emi Martinez, Reece James and Jamie Gittens are also reported to be unavailable, potentially forcing further adjustments to the team.

Chelsea must now find an effective combination capable of competing with Liverpool at Anfield. Alonso’s decisions over Estevao and the other available attacking players could prove important as the Blues attempt to progress in the Carabao Cup and respond to their recent setbacks.