Who replaces Joao Pedro? How Xabi Alonso can solve Chelsea attacking dilemma

Xabi Alonso has a headache up front. That seemed nearly inconceivable a few weeks ago when Chelsea ’s front three was being argued as the best in the Premier League . But alas, that is what has transpired. Joao Pedro , whose scintillating start to the season produced five goals and three assists in six appearances, is now sidelined for a “few weeks” with a thigh injury . The issue was picked up in training the day before the bitter Tottenham defeat on the weekend, which Joao Pedro played no part of. Despite his impressive early numbers, the striker has endured rotten luck with injuries already this term. He was left dejected as a knee injury forced him out of Brazil duty during the international break, which was meant to bring his return to the Selecao fold after being snubbed for the World Cup. Chelsea were relieved that this absence didn’t have a great impact on them - he returned in time for the Bournemouth thrashing , in which he bagged a brace. Joao Pedro has started the season on fire for Chelsea but injury has derailed him (Getty) He continued to be integral for the Blues and their newfound attacking machine, something that was then driven home by his absence against Spurs. A first defeat without scoring at home to Spurs in 40 years, Chelsea were toothless. Morgan Rogers did not have the impact that was hoped for as a makeshift striker, while Danny Welbeck ’s eventual arrival into the game came with the score at 2-0. Alonso did not come close to finding an adequate alternative to Joao Pedro on that stormy Saturday night at Stamford Bridge. But with the Brazilian now consigned to the treatment table for weeks on end, he must come up with a solution and soon, with Wednesday’s trip to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup next on the docket. “He is a key player. We will miss him,” Alonso said. “But we will have to be ready to deal with the injury and to be competitive and to try to win games with the players that we have available. We are starting tomorrow against Liverpool, a cup game. This is the situation. We are ready to fight for it and ready to prove that we can show the level.” Welbeck, who has started and scored in both previous Carabao Cup ties so far this season, will be expected to lead the line for the Blues. His last outing against Liverpool saw him score a decisive double in a 2-1 league win for Brighton in March. Hindsight indicated he should have been more involved against Spurs, though Alonso stood firm on the process behind his decision. “I assess all the possibilities we have, what we have been preparing during the week and the qualities that all the players have to choose the best team for each game.” he said. “That was the case on Saturday and that's the case for tomorrow.” Danny Welbeck has scored three goals in the Carabao Cup this term (Getty) Chelsea do now have another forward option, though. Emmanuel Emegha has not played a minute for the club since arriving from sister club Strasbourg in the summer due to injury, but is now fit and will be in the squad for the visit of Anfield. At 23, Emegha is earmarked as a major player for Chelsea’s future off the back of three impressive seasons in Alsace. The Dutchman boasts explosive pace and is a physical presence at six-foot-five. He is also 12 years younger than his main competition to fill the Joao Pedro void. But as of yet, fans have only seen flashes in pre-season, with goals against Crawley and Bromley in friendlies. Alonso has opened the door for Emegha to make his mark, though a start may come too soon on Merseyside. “For sure it's important that we have him available because he has special qualities,” he said. “He has to feel fully fit. He's been training for the last couple of weeks, 10 days, in a good way that allows him to build a strong base for his fitness and now gradually we want to see him and maybe tomorrow he has the chance to play.” Emmanuel Emegha has not played a minute for Chelsea since joining in the summer (Getty) Despite the Rogers experiment seemingly failing against Spurs, Alonso has not ruled out operating another non-striker down the middle. Cole Palmer might have been in contention had he not been sent off on the weekend; he misses the Liverpool clash, which could finally allow Estevao more minutes. His 18-minute cameo against Spurs was the first time he had been brought on before the 80th minute in the Premier League this season. Alonso wants to use his squad to its maximum and backs his players’ versatility. “They [Welbeck and Emegha] are the strikers but there are other players that can play in that position,” he added. “We need to find the right balance between the things that they are good at and how they connect with the other ones. “We tried with Morgan, playing close to Cole. We have to sometimes be creative and sometimes try a few things to see how this is going to work out.” Morgan Rogers struggled to make an impact up top against Tottenham (PA) There is no standout capable understudy to Joao Pedro at the moment, but Alonso does not have the opportunity for extensive trial and error. Despite a decent start to life at Stamford Bridge, the cardinal sin of losing to Spurs at home has sparked some hostility in the fanbase. Showing off his powers of recovery and adaptability - and fast - will be a sure-fire way of restoring any waining trust.