Chelsea Assess Joao Pedro Return Before Bournemouth Match

Chelsea forward Joao Pedro is nearing a return from a knee injury as the club prepares to face Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge, with Xabi Alonso providing a team update on Friday and Chelsea set to announce the lineup before the October 10 Premier League match.

According to the Standard, Joao Pedro has been able to train and is considered on course to return for the weekend fixture. The report added that Chelsea may avoid immediately starting him to reduce the risk of another injury setback.

Alonso said several players had returned to training ahead of the match, including Marco Palestra, after some squad members had struggled before the previous Brentford game.

"They have all been able to train, some of them earlier than others – and Marco Palestra as well. That was the plan. We knew that going into Brentford we had some players struggling but they have trained well and are ready to go." said Xabi Alonso.

The Standard reported that the decision on Joao Pedro's involvement remains with Alonso, who will determine whether the forward is included from the start or returns through a more cautious role.

Chelsea's team announcement for the Bournemouth match is scheduled for 1:45pm BST on Saturday, October 10, ahead of the 3pm BST kickoff at Stamford Bridge, according to the report.