Xabi Alonso provides Joao Pedro injury update before Liverpool vs Chelsea

Xabi Alonso has confirmed that Chelsea forward Joao Pedro will be sidelined for "a few weeks" due to a thigh injury.

The striker, who has scored five goals and made three assists in the Premier League this season, played no part in Chelsea's bitter defeat against Tottenham on the weekend after missing out on the matchday squad due to injury.

Alonso said the Brazilian felt something in training and had "a lot of fluid" in his thigh, with the club conducting further assessments to determine the extent of the blow.

Chelsea felt Joao Pedro 's absence up top in a toothless performance at home to Spurs and Alonso has now provided a further update on his status ahead of the club's Carabao Cup fourth-round tie at Liverpool , revealing that Chelsea will have to adapt.

"He has an injury on his thigh," Alonso confirmed. "He's going to be a few weeks out. Let's see how many. We don't want to predict on that, but not ready for the next few games.

"He is a key player. We will miss him, but we will have to be ready to deal with the injury and to be competitive and to try to win games with the players that we have available.

"We are starting tomorrow against Liverpool, a cup game. This is the situation. We are ready to fight for it and ready to prove that we can show the level."

Joao Pedro suffered a knee injury which ruled him out of Chelsea's match with Brentford ahead of the September international break, and he withdrew from Brazil duty.

He returned to the Chelsea team to score twice against Bournemouth and then played 90 minutes against Everton at the beginning of October, but was absent for the Spurs loss.

Morgan Rogers led the line on the weekend but had little impact, meaning Alonso could opt to start 35-year-old summer recruit Danny Welbeck, who has started both previous Carabao Cup ties this season. Emmanuel Emegha is also back available following injury.

Estevao, meanwhile, could be in store for more minutes as Chelsea look to cope without Cole Palmer following his red card.

Speaking on the significance of Emegha's in the context of Joao Pedro's setback, Alonso added: "For sure it's important that we have him available because he has special qualities.

"He has to feel fully fit. He's been training for the last couple of weeks, 10 days, in a good way that allows him to build a strong base for his fitness and now gradually we want to see him and maybe tomorrow he has the chance to play."

Alonso also didn't rule out trialling other players up front as Chelsea look for a solution to Joao Pedro's absence, even if striker isn't their natural position.

"They [Welbeck and Emegha] are the strikers but there are other players that can play in that position," he said.

"We need to find the right balance between the things that they are good at and how they connect with the other ones. We tried with Morgan, playing close to Cole. We have to sometimes be creative and sometimes try a few things to see how this is going to work out."