Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has been warned that he faces an "uncomfortable" situation if the Blues lose to Manchester United in the Premier League this weekend.

Both Chelsea and Man United are aiming to avoid three successive defeats in all tournaments during the Saturday 12.30pm kickoff at Stamford Bridge, after the Blues' losses to Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool and the Red Devils' reverses to Como and Bournemouth.

Chelsea enter the weekend 11 places and six points better off than Man United in the Premier League table, but the Red Devils did the double over the Blues last season, and Alonso will have to cope without star striker Joao Pedro due to injury.

The Brazilian was ruled out before last weekend's defeat to Spurs, in which an attack comprising Geovany Quenda, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer - before his sending off - were quelled by Roberto De Zerbi's side.

Speaking exclusively to Sports Mole, Chelsea legend Gus Poyet dismissed the notion that Alonso would find himself "under pressure" if his side lose this weekend, but the Spaniard would face inevitable questions.

Chelsea vs. Man United: Will Xabi Alonso come under pressure if Blues lose?

"I don’t know if it would be under pressure, but it could become uncomfortable," Poyet said. "With the way Man Utd are playing you would be expecting to win, now the players from Man Utd are going to have to run this weekend.

"You hear what happened at the end of the Man Utd game against Bournemouth, and the players are now going to have to react on the pitch in the next game.

"So it’s now up to the players how they were affected by the fans reaction and we will see on the pitch. It’s an important game for Man Utd and for Chelsea, they need to learn how to play without Pedro, so this is key to winning."

Michael Carrick's Man United travel to Stamford Bridge having failed to win any of their last eight games in all tournaments, and they are also still waiting for their first away triumph of the season.

How Chelsea could line up without Joao Pedro against Man United

Pedro's thigh injury will sideline the former Brighton & Hove Albion striker for "a few weeks", meaning that he is unlikely to return to action for the Blues before the November international break.

Alonso snubbed recognised striker Danny Welbeck against Tottenham, but his decision to go without a recognised number nine did not pay dividends, as Chelsea failed to score at home for the first time this season.

Welbeck was given the nod through the middle against Liverpool in the EFL Cup with Palmer suspended, but the former Arsenal and Man United striker failed to justify his inclusion so may be overlooked in the league once more.

Instead, Alonso could deploy the returning Palmer as a false nine in between Pedro Neto and Rogers in a 4-3-3, allowing Jordan Henderson, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to continue in midfield.

Alternatively, Emmanuel Emegha could make his Premier League debut for Chelsea through the middle, after coming off the bench at Anfield for his maiden Blues appearance.