Lacroix, Martinez & Pedro - Chelsea injury news ahead of Manchester United Premier League 2026-27 clash

Some big names remain injury doubts for the Blues.

Chelsea will host Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in a crucial Premier League 2026-27 fixture on Saturday, October 31, 2026. This will be a key match for the hosts, who have dropped out of the top four in the league table after a loss to Tottenham Hotspur.

The home defeat against Spurs was followed by an EFL Cup fourth-round loss to Liverpool, with the Reds prevailing on penalties., where the Reds prevailed on penalties. As a result, head coach Xabi Alonso has come under some pressure, and he will hope that his team can return to winning ways against Manchester United.

However, ahead of this match, several players remain injury doubts for the home side. Players such as Joao Pedro and Reece James have suffered injuries in recent days, while doubts remain over the fitness of Maxence Lacroix and Emiliano Martinez.

Also Read: Chelsea vs Manchester United Preview, prediction, injury news & lineups

Latest on Maxence Lacroix, Joao Pedro and Emiliano Martinez

Maxence Lacroix has become a mainstay in the heart of Chelsea’s defence since his summer transfer from Crystal Palace. The Frenchman picked up an injury while tracking Cody Gakpo during the cup clash against Liverpool, and he was substituted before half-time.

This has raised fears that the defender might have suffered a hamstring injury. However, Alonso has allayed those fears for now, although it remains unlikely that he will play against Manchester United.

“Too early to tell,” Alonso said. “Probably he felt something on the hamstrings. And we need a couple of days to check what’s going to be the injury.”

Joao Pedro is set to miss the upcoming clash because of the thigh injury he suffered in training ahead of the Spurs match. He has missed both of Chelsea’s last two games. Alonso has ruled him out for a “few weeks”, and he will not be back before the international break.

In some positive news, Emiliano Martinez may be back sooner than expected. The goalkeeper suffered a broken jaw after colliding with Jarrad Branthwaite against Everton.

Backup goalkeeper Mike Penders has deputised in his absence, and the Belgian scored an own goal on his Premier League starting debut against Spurs.

“Emi is doing better. He had the surgery and day by day he is feeling better, but we still need to wait,” Alonso said before the Spurs match. “A few weeks. Hopefully, less than more, but we need to wait.”

“The good thing is that he is feeling better and we need to listen to his feelings, the opinions of the doctors, the specialists, the surgeons. Considering it was a bad one, he is doing good.”

Jamie Gittens has not recovered from an ankle injury sustained while representing England Under-21s. He will be out for several more weeks. Meanwhile, Pep Chavarria has returned to some team training after picking up an injury during a training session several weeks ago.

Captain Reece James remains a long-term injury absentee. The right-back underwent what the club described as ‘minor’ knee surgery after suffering a knee injury in training following the initial hamstring concern before the international break.

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