{
  "id": 3081618,
  "title": "Why is Moises Caicedo not playing for Chelsea in season opener vs. Fulham?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/why-is-moises-caicedo-not-playing-for-chelsea-in-season-opener-vs",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-24T18:21:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/why-moises-caicedo-not-playing-182148610.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "The Ecuador midfielder has been a consistent presence for the Blues but isn't in Xabi Alonso's first roster.",
  "key_points": [
    "Moises Caicedo absent from Chelsea's season opener.",
    "Caicedo featured in final preseason match on August 15.",
    "Coach Xabi Alonso cites readiness as exclusion reason."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Sport",
        "title": "Rogers & Palmer star but Sanchez struggles - Fulham v Chelsea player ratings",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/rogers-palmer-star-but-sanchez-struggles-fulham-v-chelsea-player",
        "published": "2026-08-24T20:54:09.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}