Alonso says Joao Pedro will miss Chelsea matches with injury

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said Joao Pedro has a thigh injury and will miss several upcoming matches, including Wednesday’s EFL Cup tie against Liverpool. Alonso said the forward would be out for a few weeks but declined to give a precise recovery date. Pedro missed Chelsea’s 2-0 Premier League defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. Alonso described him as a key player and said the club would have to compete with the players available. He did not confirm when Pedro would return. Chelsea’s immediate task is the last-16 cup match at Liverpool. Emmanuel Emegha is fit to join the squad and could make his Chelsea debut, Alonso said. The summer signing had been building fitness in training after a hamstring problem. Alonso said Emegha has qualities that could help the team, but did not confirm whether he would start. Cole Palmer will also miss the Liverpool match, serving a suspension after receiving two bookings against Tottenham, Alonso said. The manager acknowledged that Palmer had made a mistake and said he hoped it would not happen again. Alonso said he would assess the available players and consider different attacking combinations. Against Tottenham, he used Morgan Rogers...