Caicedo out vs Hull, Lavia in contention for Chelsea

Moises Caicedo will not feature for Chelsea against Hull City on Saturday, manager Xabi Alonso confirmed, while Romeo Lavia is available for selection at Stamford Bridge.

A calf injury has disrupted Caicedo's start to the season. The Ecuadorian missed Chelsea's opening two fixtures before returning as a second-half substitute in the 4-3 win over Brighton — only to suffer a recurrence of the same problem after just 14 minutes on the pitch.

Alonso had already indicated caution over Caicedo's return ahead of the midweek game against Leeds United, and that approach remains in place for the Hull fixture.

'Not yet [ready to return]; let's see for Brentford,' Alonso said at his pre-match press conference. 'Unluckily, not yet, and it's not the moment to take the risk with him. We are not there yet.'

Lavia, who was absent from the matchday squad for Wednesday's Leeds game, has been cleared to play this weekend, offering Alonso a boost in central midfield.

Alonso also provided an update on Jordan Henderson and Emmanuel Emegha, both of whom are yet to make their Chelsea debuts despite joining the club this summer. 'Not tomorrow,' the Spaniard said. 'We hope they can be [ready] against Brentford, but we will see.'