Chelsea omit Joao Pedro from Tottenham derby squad

Chelsea left Joao Pedro out of its squad for the Premier League derby against Tottenham on October 24 after the striker developed an injury issue in training. Manager Xabi Alonso said the club planned further tests to assess the problem, but its severity and any expected recovery period were not yet known. Pedro, who had played the full match against Everton the previous weekend, was not named among Chelsea’s substitutes or starters at Stamford Bridge. The club was assessing the injury. Alonso said after Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat that Pedro had felt the issue during Friday training and had a buildup of fluid. He said Chelsea expected to test him the following day to learn more. Pedro’s absence came after he had scored five goals and recorded three assists in the Premier League this season, according to reports ahead of the match. He had also missed Chelsea’s game against Brentford in September with a knee injury and withdrawn from Brazil duty, before returning to play against Bournemouth and Everton. Chelsea made two changes to the starting side that beat Everton 2-0. Geovany Quenda started in attack, while goalkeeper Mike Penders replaced Emiliano Martinez, who was recovering from...