Chelsea have suffered another injury setback after manager Xabi Alonso confirmed that João Pedro will miss Saturday’s Premier League encounter against Manchester United because of a thigh problem.

The Brazilian forward is expected to spend several weeks on the sidelines, leaving the Blues without one of their most influential attacking players during an important period of the season.

According to a report by The Sun on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Alonso provided an update on Pedro’s condition ahead of Chelsea’s Carabao Cup clash against Liverpool, admitting that the club are still uncertain about the exact duration of his absence.

“He has an injury of his thigh and is going to be out for a few weeks. Let’s see how many,” Alonso explained.

“We don’t want to predict on that, but not ready for the next few games.”

The Chelsea manager also acknowledged how important the 25-year-old is to his attacking plans and admitted that his absence would be difficult for the team to manage.

“He’s a key player. We’ll miss him. We have to be ready to deal with the injury, starting tomorrow with Liverpool,” he added.

Pedro has not featured since Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Everton on October 17. He also missed the subsequent 2-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, forcing Alonso to experiment with Morgan Rogers in an unfamiliar central attacking position.

The latest setback represents another frustrating interruption to the Brazilian’s campaign. He previously missed approximately a month of action in September after sustaining a knee injury.

Despite his fitness problems, Pedro has made a positive contribution whenever available, recording five goals and three assists this season. His importance to Chelsea is further highlighted by his impressive return of 20 goals across all competitions last term.

With the forward unavailable for the meeting with Manchester United, Alonso must now identify an alternative capable of leading Chelsea’s attack.

Emmanuel Emegha could become an option after recently returning to training following his own injury difficulties.

Alonso has been encouraged by the striker’s progress, revealing that he has performed well during the past 10 days of training. However, Chelsea are determined to manage his recovery carefully and improve his fitness gradually rather than rush him into competitive action.

The Blues will therefore have to find solutions with their available attacking players as they prepare for a demanding run of Premier League and cup fixtures.

Pedro’s absence is a considerable setback for Alonso, particularly with Chelsea needing positive results against Liverpool and Manchester United to maintain their momentum this season.