Chelsea Confidential: Xabi Alonso's brutal crackdown on leaks and how it's giving Blues an edge, Behdad Eghbali's French connections and truth about Gini Wijnaldum links

Chelsea fans want to know if Moises Caicedo is fit, but Xabi Alonso does not want you to know, because if you know, then Mikel Arteta and Arsenal know.

Alonso, much like Arteta, is particularly protective of team news and against doing the opposition any favours by giving an early indication as to who is and isn’t available.

Sources suggest they have noticed an increase in secrecy compared to previous managers, with Chelsea rocked by a mole who was leaking their line-ups last season under Liam Rosenior.

It coincides with heightened security measures having been implemented at Cobham, since Confidential revealed last week how Alonso’s colleague Willie Isa was unhappy when two unknowns managed to walk past what was supposed to be a closed training session.

At least once this season, Alonso has only named his starting XI on the day of the game, and this desire to protect information may have been influenced by his time as manager of Real Madrid, where leaks were a problem. He tried, and often failed, to instil confidentiality into that club.

It is said before Real’s first Club World Cup game against Saudi side Al-Hilal in June 2025, Alonso revealed his XI in advance to the team. It was a test, and they failed, because it was soon reported in the Spanish media that then 21-year-old academy graduate Gonzalo Garcia was surprisingly starting.

Xabi Alonso has been much more evasive than some of his predecessors at Chelsea, wanting to keep a lid on any leaks of his team news

He is unlikely to offer any revealing updates on Moises Caicedo this week after the Ecuadorian came off injured against Brighton - although Caicedo has beenin at Cobham every day

Alonso was candid during Chelsea’s pre-season tour of Australia and Asia. However, now that the games are competitive, he has been much more evasive compared to other loose-lipped managers.

When asked who his primary penalty-taker is, Alonso declined to answer, saying: ‘Nope, sorry.’

When asked who his first-choice goalkeeper is, he declined to answer, saying: ‘Don't ask.’

When asked if Enzo Fernandez was still training while missing out on the match-day squads versus Luton and Brighton, he declined to answer. Now that he has been sold to Manchester City, we believe we can say Fernandez was excused from team training as well as those matches.

Gone are the days when Chelsea used to upload an article to their website listing all of their weekly injuries and doubts, who was ‘in partial team training’ and who was ‘undergoing rehabilitation programme’. That was under Mauricio Pochettino. While helpful for us reporters, it gave their opponents a handy heads up, and we should not expect a return of those weekly round-ups.

As for Caicedo, who has been a daily attendee at Cobham this week, Alonso will be asked about his fitness at his Friday afternoon press conference. It will then be up to him how charitable he is feeling, and whether he wants to make Arteta and the Arsenal analysts’ jobs easier.

EGHBALI IN MONACO… BEFORE THEY ANGERED THE BLUES

BlueCo had no clubs involved in last week’s European draws in Monaco, with neither Chelsea nor Strasbourg having qualified for the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League.

However, Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali was on the French Riviera.

Eghbali flew in for networking purposes, per sources. Alongside the sporting director team, he has been hands-on in a window which should still be seen as a winning one for Chelsea despite how it ended.

Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali was in France for the Champions League draw, despite the Blues not featuring in it

It was late on deadline day when Chelsea thought they had secured a midfield signing in Lamine Camara from Monaco, whose sporting director is Thiago Scuro and who was also present at their Conference League draw.

It was Scuro who decided to pull the plug on Camara’s £47million move to Stamford Bridge minutes before Tuesday’s 11pm deadline. That infuriated the Blues, with sources describing it as a deeply unprofessional way for another club to conduct business.

WHY CHELSEA LEFT IT LATE IN MIDFIELD CHASE

Supporters are within their rights to ask why Chelsea did not get ahead of the Fernandez sale and sign a replacement sooner. However, in their who-blinks-first battle with City as we approached September 1, that would have told their Premier League rivals they were ready to sell them their top target.

Chelsea, up to and including deadline day, had been insisting they would be happy to keep hold of Fernandez if need be. They wound up getting a fixed fee worth £125m out of City, who initially offered £104m before add-ons, but no replacement after how the Camara deal died thanks to Monaco.

Instead, Chelsea will now proceed with midfield options in Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Valentin Barco, Jordan Henderson and Reece James, their captain who sources suggest is seen as a midfielder under Alonso. Malo Gusto is another candidate if required.

Chelsea say it is not true that they have contacted Georginio Wijnaldum, the 35-year-old free agent.

There is no truth in rumours that Chelsea have made a move for former Liverpool man Georginio Wijnaldum

REECE AS A MIDFIELDER

Regarding James as a midfielder, it will be intriguing to see how he handles those responsibilities, though he has a good record in that position. Just look at last season.

When Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 to win the Club World Cup, James was in midfield. When they beat Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League, James was in midfield. When they thrashed Aston Villa 4-1 in the Premier League, James was in midfield. When they held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw despite Caicedo being red carded after 38 minutes, James was in midfield.

In 2025-26, James managed 2,668 minutes in all competitions. Per Opta, 52 per cent of that was as a right back, 42 per cent as a midfielder, and the remaining six per cent as a right-sided centre back.

YOU-KNOW-WHO WON'T NAME YOU-KNOW WHO

There is much amusement at how Enzo Maresca is seemingly hellbent on not letting the word ‘Chelsea’ slip out of his mouth. A few times now, City’s manager has only referred to them as ‘my former club’ or the ‘club where I was’ or that ‘different club’. It is delightfully petty.

But then, in a way, Maresca is only getting his own back.

When Chelsea announced that they had reached a compensation settlement with both City (£17m) and Maresca (undisclosed), their statement did not name him once.

Rather, Chelsea made a point of purely referring to Maresca as ‘our former head coach’ three times. They ended their swipe by describing Alonso as a ‘manager who has an exceptional football mind and is a professional of the highest integrity’.

Man City's new manager and midfield star, Enzo Maresca and Enzo Fernandez, both seem unable to refer to Chelsea by name

After signing for City, Fernandez copied Maresca in referring to ‘my previous club’ in his first interview.

We can expect an animalistic atmosphere at Stamford Bridge for the return of the two Enzos when these two clubs meet in the Premier League in late April 2027.

OH SNAP!

Before each season starts, journalists are reminded that we cannot take pictures or videos inside the stadium if players are on the pitch, as per Premier League rules.

That goes for before, during and after fixtures.

But we will give Gary Cahill a free pass because he was such a good servant for the club.

Cahill, sitting in the press box, could not help taking a snap as Cole Palmer and Co emerged for their first home game. Like many inside Stamford Bridge, the former defender who now acts as an ambassador for Chelsea was excited to be back. We all were.

Danny Welbeck has been a positive presence at Chelsea's training ground since joining from Brighton

DANNY AND THE BOYS

I have a friend whose son is in Chelsea’s academy, and he was waxing lyrical about Danny Welbeck last week.

A bunch of the Blues’ kids aged around 10 were giddy when they spied Welbeck on their side of the training ground.

The 35-year-old striker, who joined from Brighton this summer, was more than generous with his time when they went running up to meet him.