Moisés Caicedo Absent from Chelsea Squad Against Arsenal

Moisés Caicedo was nowhere to be seen as Chelsea named their squad for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Arsenal, a significant setback for Xabi Alonso just as the midfielder seemed on the verge of a full return.

The Ecuador international had already ridden a stop-start couple of weeks. He was a surprise absentee from Chelsea’s opening league game against Fulham, with Alonso later explaining that Caicedo had suffered a “minor setback” after his initial recovery from injury.

That knock kept him out of the midweek Carabao Cup win over Luton Town. His name finally reappeared on the team sheet against Brighton last weekend, but only briefly. Sent on as a second-half substitute, Caicedo lasted just 14 minutes before he had to be withdrawn, prompting fresh concern. Alonso admitted afterward that the issue “wasn’t something new.”

Even so, the build-up to the Arsenal match carried a hint of optimism. Caicedo trained, pushed, and came close to making it. Very close, according to his manager.

“He was close. But there is no point in taking a risk at this moment. We need to be cautious,” Alonso told Sky Sports before kick-off, underlining the decision to hold him back against the Gunners.

So Chelsea went into a major London showdown without their high-profile midfield anchor, choosing the long view over the temptation of a short-term gamble. How long they can afford to be without him in a demanding Premier League campaign is the question now hanging over Stamford Bridge.