According to a report by Metro on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Chelsea have suffered a major injury setback ahead of their Carabao Cup meeting with Liverpool, as striker Joao Pedro is expected to spend several weeks on the sidelines with a thigh injury.

The Brazilian forward was missing from Chelsea's squad last Saturday when they suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, with his absence leaving manager Xabi Alonso without one of his important attacking players during a difficult London derby.

Alonso has now confirmed that Pedro will miss the upcoming matches against Liverpool and Manchester United, while the club waits to discover how long the striker will need to recover before returning to action.

Speaking at his press conference on Tuesday, the Chelsea manager said: "He has an injury of his thigh and is going to be out for a few weeks. Let’s see how many. He’s not ready for the next games. He’s a key player. We’ll miss him. We have to be ready to deal with the injury, starting tomorrow with Liverpool."

Chelsea will travel to Anfield on Wednesday night for their Carabao Cup fourth-round tie against Liverpool, knowing they must find a way to compete without Pedro leading their attack, while Alonso will also have to consider his available options ahead of Saturday's Premier League meeting with Manchester United.

The injury comes at a difficult time for the Blues, who will be hoping to respond after their defeat to Tottenham and avoid another disappointing result against a Liverpool side playing at home. Pedro's absence could force Alonso to make changes to his attacking line-up as he looks for a reliable option to lead the forward line.

With two important fixtures coming within a few days, Chelsea will need other attacking players to step up and help the team cope with the Brazilian's absence, although the club is yet to confirm an exact date for his return.