According to a report by the Evening Standard on Saturday, October 31, 2026, Chelsea have suffered an injury setback ahead of their Premier League clash with Manchester United, as manager Xabi Alonso has confirmed that Emi Martinez will miss Saturday's meeting at Stamford Bridge.

The Argentina international is recovering from surgery after breaking his jaw during Chelsea's 2-0 victory over Everton.

There had been hopes that Martinez could return sooner than expected, but Alonso has ruled him out of the encounter against Manchester United.

However, the Chelsea manager has not dismissed the possibility of the summer signing returning before the international break.

"Yes there is a chance," Alonso said when asked about Martinez’s potential comeback. "We still need to wait until next week, but there’s a chance."

Chelsea have also been dealt another injury blow involving Maxence Lacroix, who suffered a suspected hamstring injury during Wednesday's Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool.

The defender was forced off in first-half stoppage time after pulling up while tracking Cody Gakpo.

Alonso expects Lacroix to spend several weeks on the sidelines, with the centre-back unlikely to return before the international break.

"Max picked up an injury and we expect he is not going to be ready before the international break. He will be a few weeks out," the Spaniard confirmed.

There was, however, encouraging news concerning Moises Caicedo, who was substituted against Liverpool after experiencing some discomfort.

The Ecuadorian midfielder has recovered from the issue and is available for Saturday's fixture, with Alonso confirming that he has no injury concerns.

"No issue, he is ok for tomorrow," the Chelsea boss said.

Meanwhile, summer signing Pep Chavarria is expected to return to the matchday squad, although Jorrel Hato remains unavailable.

Chelsea will therefore be without Martinez and Lacroix against Manchester United, while Caicedo's availability provides a boost for Alonso ahead of the important Premier League encounter.