Chelsea Defender Maxence Lacroix Out For Weeks With Hamstring Injury

Maxence Lacroix will miss Chelsea's upcoming match against Manchester United and faces weeks on the sideline due to a hamstring injury sustained against Liverpool.

NationPulse Desk

Oct 30, 2026 · 7:51 PM 3 min read

Key takeaways

Maxence Lacroix will miss weeks of action due to a hamstring injury picked up against Liverpool.

Jorrel Hato is unavailable for the match against Manchester United due to a back injury.

Moises Caicedo and Pep Chavarria are both available for selection against Manchester United.

Emiliano Martinez could return against Sunderland wearing a face mask after recovering from a fractured jaw.

Xabi Alonso ruled out a January exit for Estevao Willian.

Maxence Lacroix will remain out of action until after the international break following a hamstring issue. The twenty-six year old French defender had to leave the pitch during the match against Liverpool on Wednesday night and now faces several weeks away from the team after evaluations.

Manager Xabi Alonso will also miss Jorrel Hato when the Blues play against Manchester United on Saturday afternoon, because the Dutch player failed to recover from a back problem in time.

Moises Caicedo is ready to face the Red Devils after starting at Anfield, while Pep Chavarria is also available to be picked.

Chelsea will play Sunderland next weekend before the players join their national teams.

Discussing Lacroix, Alonso stated, "Max, he picked up an injury, and we expect that he's not going to be ready before the international break. So he will be a few weeks out."

Alonso added regarding Caicedo, "No, no issue. He's okay for tomorrow."

On Hato and Chavarria, the manager said, "Jorrel, no. But Pep Chavarria is back in the squad, yes."

There was positive news regarding the goalkeeper position, as Alonso expressed hope that Emiliano Martinez could return to the squad before the international break.

Martinez has been unavailable since breaking his jaw at Everton but could make a comeback against Sunderland wearing a protective face mask.

Addressing the possibility of Martinez returning, Alonso stated, "Yes, there is a chance. We need to still wait for next week, but let's see how things go. But there is a chance. In case he's ready to play, he will need a face mask probably."

Alonso also dismissed any departure in January for Estevao Willian, despite the young Chelsea player having limited playing time.

Estevao, who was acquired for £29million from Palmeiras in 2025, has not started a single Premier League fixture since Alonso took over at Stamford Bridge.

The teenager performed well at times last season under Enzo Maresca, scoring against Barcelona and Liverpool, but was left on the bench during the Carabao Cup defeat at Liverpool on Wednesday.

Alonso maintained that the winger, who reportedly feels frustrated by his lack of playing time under the Spanish coach, will receive opportunities.

When questioned if a January loan move was evaluated, Alonso replied, "No, no discussions about that."

He continued, "He will play. The season is long and there will be moments for everyone. It's a process for the team, for Este, for myself, but I'm sure that in the season he will have his games, his minutes. We are still early in the season, but he will be there. It's not about attitude. It's been about the context of games, it's been about the start of the season, and he's a great guy. He really wants his adaptation after the first year of injury, but we are still in October and he will be important."

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