Why Is Wesley Fofana Not Part of Chelsea's Squad to Face Fulham in Xabi Alonso’s First Premier League Game in Charge?
Xabi Alonso begins his Chelsea tenure with a predicted back-three lineup and a debut for Morgan Rogers, who arrived for a British-record £117 million.
- On Monday, August 24, 2026, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso begins his competitive tenure by visiting west London rivals Fulham at Craven Cottage, marking a managerial debut for both Alonso and Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa.
- Chelsea enters the season following a massive squad overhaul, headlined by the record-breaking $117 million signing of forward Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa and the $70 million acquisition of defender Maxence Lacroix.
- Midfielder Enzo Fernandez will start alongside Moises Caicedo in Alonso's new back-three system after the Argentine returned to training 10 days ago, ready for his first competitive match.
- Fulham manager Arbeloa faces a daunting historical challenge; the Cottagers have won just 14 of 95 meetings against Chelsea, who have triumphed 54 times since 1910.
- Despite quiet optimism surrounding Alonso's side, Chelsea has failed to win any of their previous three opening-day matches, while Fulham has won just one of their last six season openers.
36 Articles
36 Articles
Why Moises Caicedo missed Chelsea's Premier League opener against Fulham
Moises Caicedo missed Chelsea’s Premier League opener (Picture: Getty) Moises Caicedo was missing from Chelsea’s matchday squad for their Premier League opener against Fulham on Monday night. Xabi Alonso’s reign as Chelsea manager began with a west London derby at Craven Cottage. The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder was without influential midfielder Caicedo for Chelsea’s opening Premier League fixture. In Caicedo’s absence, Reece Jam…
Why is Wesley Fofana not part of Chelsea's squad to face Fulham in Xabi Alonso’s first Premier League game in charge?
New Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso won't have centre-back Wesley Fofana for the Premier League opener at Fulham tonight (August 24) due to a red-card suspension carrying over from the previous campaign.
Fulham vs Chelsea Injury News: Major Blow Leaves Both Sides Facing Early Problems
Fulham vs Chelsea injury news has given both managers plenty to consider before the Premier League opener at Craven Cottage. Álvaro Arbeloa starts his Fulham tenure with most of his squad available, but Tom Cairney and Joachim Andersen will miss the game. Xabi Alonso also faces selection problems in his first competitive match as Chelsea […] The post Fulham vs Chelsea Injury News: Major Blow Leaves Both Sides Facing Early Problems appeared first…
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