Chelsea dealt new injury worry as worst-case scenario 'revealed' for £17m signing

Blues manager Xabi Alonso dealt fresh concern during international break

Chelsea have reportedly suffered another injury scare, with reserve goalkeeper Mike Penders set to miss Belgium’s Nations League clash against Italy.

It has been a rocky start to the extended autumn international break for the Blues as Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer have both pulled out of the Brazil and England squads respectively.

The situation, as of yet, is not the same for Penders, but according to reports in Belgium, he suffered a quadriceps injury in training which will deny him the opportunity of winning a first senior international cap on Friday.

Furthermore, it has been claimed that Penders has been left in Belgium to continue his rehabilitation at the national training centre in Tubize and there is currently no indication of how long he will be absent.

As a result, the 21-year-old is now considered a major doubt for Monday’s clash against France as quadriceps injuries can take anywhere from one to three weeks to heal for mild strains.

The worst-case scenario is a severe tear or a ruptures which would require surgery and, reportedly, can take three to six months to heal.

Injury scare: Mike Penders

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Penders officially arrived at Chelsea from Genk for £17million in the summer of 2025 but was loaned out to Strasbourg last season, where he impressed to earn a place in Belgium's World Cup squad.

He made his Chelsea debut in the Carabao Cup second round win over Luton in August, before making his second start in the third round victory against Leeds.

“We want that he enjoys [himself], that he has composure and maturity, that he gets used to playing in a new stadium with new team-mates,” Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said of Penders last month.

“So far, he is very mature for his age – it was great that he played very competitive football last year in Strasbourg. Now this is the next step, and we need to help him.”

With Emi Martinez recruited to act as Chelsea’s first-choice stopper, the cup competitions offer Penders a chance to impress this season.

He will be hopeful that his injury is not too serious as his next likely appearance for Chelsea is the Carabao Cup fourth round tie away at Liverpool in late October.