Chelsea could hand Danny Welbeck and Emmanuel Emegha their first appearances for the club when they meet Luton Town in the second round of the Carabao Cup. Xabi Alonso said both players are in contention for the match, while Jordan Henderson will need a little more time before he is ready.
The timing matters because Chelsea are moving into a run of fixtures that will start to define how quickly the squad settles. Alonso said the team only began its season on Monday, and he expects the way Chelsea play in January to look different from what it looks like now. In his view, that change will keep building into next year.
Welbeck has already been eased in around the group without playing a full part. He did not feature in the final friendly against Real Sociedad and was an unused substitute in the Premier League opener at Craven Cottage earlier in the week. Emegha also missed the final friendly, but Alonso’s latest update puts both players in line to be involved against Luton Town.
Henderson remains the hold-up. Alonso said he will take a little bit longer, while also stressing that he is not a doctor and does not have the medical data on the midfielder’s condition. That leaves Chelsea with two new signings close enough to be considered for the cup tie, but one other recent addition still short of the line.
Alonso’s broader view is that the squad will improve as the weeks pass and more games are played. He said several players have only been back for two weeks and are already in good shape, but should improve further. For Chelsea, the Luton Town tie is less about a finished product than the first signs of what this group may become by January, and then beyond that.
