Palmer impresses as Chelsea edge past Fulham to give Alonso first win
Cole Palmer scores and sets up Joao Pedro as Chelsea give Xabi Alonso a winning start against Alvaro Arbeloa's Fulham at Craven Cottage in the Premier League.
Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo was notably absent from the Blues' Premier League opener against Fulham, sparking surprise among fans accustomed to seeing him in the starting lineup. Although Caicedo featured in the club's final preseason match, a 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge on August 15, he and Italian midfielder Marco Palestra were not included in the squad for Monday's game.
Despite the duo making the trip from Chelsea to Craven Cottage, Chelsea coach Xabi Alonso revealed that setbacks were responsible for their exclusion from the starting XI. Alonso explained that both players were not ready to play and that the club's approach is to assess each player week-by-week. In Caicedo's place, the left side of Chelsea's four-man midfield will consist of Belgian midfielder Romeo Lavia and Dutch wingback Jorell Hato, while Morgan Rogers will make his debut ahead of them in attack after joining from Aston Villa this summer.
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