Chelsea defender Maxence Lacroix feared out until January with hamstring injury

Injury in the Liverpool defeat

Maxence Lacroix was hurt at the end of the first half of Chelsea's Carabao Cup last-16 tie against Liverpool on Wednesday, 28 October. The 26-year-old France international pulled up while running back, clutched the back of his left leg and was helped off the pitch, with Levi Colwill coming on in his place. Chelsea went on to lose the tie on penalties. A talkSPORT report described a grade three hamstring rupture and said the defender will be unavailable for at least two months.

What the club has said

Xabi Alonso gave the first official update at his press conference on Friday, 30 October, saying the defender would not be ready before the international break.

“We expect that he's not going to be ready before the international break. So he will be a few weeks out.”

Other sources are more pessimistic. Multiple sources told BBC Sport that Lacroix could be out until January, which would mean missing up to 10 matches. Anonymous sources speaking to The New York Times said he may not return to playing until January. A more precise timeline is expected in November, and the rehabilitation is already described as a long one.

Chelsea's thinner defence

Lacroix joined from Crystal Palace for £52 million ($69.2m) in the summer and has been a regular starter this season. He has started all but one of Chelsea's 11 matches across all competitions, and only Morgan Rogers has played more minutes for the club this season. Alonso said Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana and Josh Acheampong can cover centre-back. Jorrel Hato (back) and Reece James (knee) are also on the treatment table, and Aaron Anselmino is not yet available. Chelsea are fifth in the Premier League with 13 points from eight matches, and they have kept only one clean sheet in that span.

Estevao and the rest of the squad

Alonso also addressed the future of Estevao, the 19-year-old winger who has started only two games this season, both in the Carabao Cup, and has played 47 Premier League minutes despite being fully fit. Asked whether the player could leave on loan in January, Alonso said there had been no discussions about that and rejected the idea that the lack of games reflects attitude.

“It (Estevao's lack of matches) is not about attitude.”

Alonso added that the winger is important to the squad and that he wants to involve him in the conversation about his role. Chelsea host Manchester United on Saturday, 31 October, at 12:30. Alonso also said goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is wearing a special mask while recovering from a broken jaw, and that midfielder Moises Caicedo avoided injury after the midweek clash with Liverpool.