Xabi Alonso addresses Palestra injury ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League opener

Xabi Alonso’s first competitive match as Chelsea manager was always going to be a test. Losing one of your marquee summer signings before a ball is even kicked makes it something closer to a pop quiz you didn’t study for. The former Bayer Leverkusen boss confirmed that Marco Palestra, the 21-year-old defender signed from Atalanta for a reported £47 million, picked up an injury in training ahead of Chelsea’s August 24 Premier League opener against Fulham. Alonso described the issue as a “minor setback.” A frustrating start to the Alonso era Palestra isn’t the only absence complicating Alonso’s debut. Midfielder Moisés Caicedo was also ruled out of the Fulham fixture, leaving the Spaniard without two players he’d clearly earmarked as foundational pieces for his Chelsea project. Alonso said the club would take a cautious, week-by-week approach to both players’ fitness. Palestra has already been ruled out of the subsequent Carabao Cup match against Luton Town and the Premier League trip to Brighton, pushing his competitive Chelsea debut further into the distance. To fill the gaps, Alonso turned to other new arrivals. Maxence Lacroix and Morgan Rogers were drafted into the starting line...