Chelsea have suffered an injury setback ahead of their Carabao Cup clash against Liverpool on Wednesday, with forward Joao Pedro expected to be sidelined for “a few weeks” with a thigh injury, head coach Xabi Alonso has confirmed.

Speaking ahead of the trip to Liverpool, Alonso said the Brazilian was not ready for the upcoming matches after sustaining the injury that ruled him out of Chelsea’s defeat to Tottenham.

“Injury on his thigh – he’s going to be a few weeks out. How many? We don’t want to predict. He’s not ready for the next games,” Alonso said, according to Sky Sports.

The Chelsea manager described Joao Pedro as a key player but insisted his side had enough depth to cope with his absence as they prepare for a demanding run of fixtures.

“He’s a key player. We will miss him. We will be ready to deal with that and be ready to win games with the players we have available starting against Liverpool. We are ready to fight and show a good level,” he added.

Alonso stressed that building a strong squad meant having alternatives available when key players were injured, urging his team to focus on solutions rather than setbacks.

“This is why you build a squad. Yes, players are important but you need to build a squad. You look for solutions rather than excuses,” he said.

Alonso: Palmer knows he made a mistake

Meanwhile, Alonso said Cole Palmer understood his error after being sent off against Tottenham, a dismissal that rules the England international out of the Liverpool trip through suspension.

The Chelsea boss said he had spoken with Palmer and believed the midfielder recognised that the incident could have been avoided.

“We spoke and for sure he knows the mistake he made. Things that you can avoid. I hope that this is not going to be repeated. He’s aware of that, he’s mature and it was a mistake,” Alonso said.

Despite the suspension, Alonso expressed confidence in Palmer’s relationship with his teammates, saying the club wanted him to remain happy and enjoy his football.

“He’s in a good space, he connects very well socially with his teammates. They like him, they want Cole smiling, they want Cole having fun, enjoying his game because when we see that, he’ll have a better team,” he added.