{
  "id": 8221900,
  "title": "EPL: João Pedro, James in contention for Brentford clash – Alonso",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/epl-joao-pedro-james-in-contention-for-brentford-clash-alonso-8221900",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-18T10:06:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/epl-joao-pedro-james-in-contention-for-brentford-clash-alonso/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has revealed that João Pedro and Reece James are still possible contenders for the upcoming Premier League match against Brentford, despite recent fitness concerns. Both players have been withdrawn from recent squads due to injuries, with João Pedro pulling out of the Brazil national team and Reece James skipping the start of Chelsea's training session on Tuesday. However, Alonso has not excluded the possibility of either player participating in Friday's west London derby, as final decisions will be made after their last training session tomorrow. Alonso emphasized his cautious approach, stating, \"In terms of injuries and in terms of the squad we are having the last training session tomorrow so no-one is ruled out for us for Friday.\" The Brazilian forward has shown promise this season, scoring three goals and providing three assists in just four Premier League appearances. Chelsea will be hoping to secure a victory in their upcoming fixture at the Gtech Community Stadium, following a 2-2 draw with Hull City last weekend. Alonso will finalize his team selection based on the players' fitness assessments during the final training session.",
  "summary": "Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has confirmed that João Pedro and Reece James are in contention for the Premier League clash with Brentford despite injuries Read More: https://punchng.com/epl-joao-pedro-james-in-contention-for-brentford-clash-alonso/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "EPL: João Pedro, James in contention for Brentford clash – Alonso",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/epl-joao-pedro-james-in-contention-for-brentford-clash-alonso",
        "published": "2026-09-18T09:32:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}