Chelsea heads to Brentford on Friday night, for a slightly-above-mid-table London derby. It’s a match-up of sixth versus seventh, so both clubs are currently in line for qualification for UEFA competition next season, but both the Blues and the Bees have bigger ambitions than that. Chelsea captain Reece James and first choice striker Joao Pedro both missed out on the squad’s training session yesterday, so naturally, there is speculation about their availability for Friday.
As of now, there are no reports of injury for either player, so there is no reason to expect that they will be unavailable, at this time.
What are the Chelsea at Brentford FYIs?
Kickoff: Fri. Sept. 18, 8pm
Venue: Gtech Community Stadium, London, UK
Premier League Standings, Form: Chelsea 6th, 7 pts, WWLD Brentford 7th, 6 pts, WDDD
Result Probability, According to Google: Chelsea win 41% Draw 25% Brentford 34%
Chelsea Preview Material: Predicted Starting XI Team News
What is the Blues Team News?
Xabi Alonso might address the status of James and Pedro at his media availability tomorrow. Elsewhere Moises Caicedo (calf injury), Marco Palestra (building up match fitness levels), Emmanuel Emegha (also building up match fitness levels) and Jordan Henderson (recovering from a procedure to repair a wrist injury) will all be in contention to make the matchday squad here.
As Alonso said, the last time he spoke on the status of these players (his weekly news conference last Friday):
“we hope they can be [ready] against Brentford, but we will see.”
For Palestra, Emegha and Henderson, an appearance here would mark their debut in a Chelsea shirt.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.