Six players could miss Fulham vs Chelsea as Xabi Alonso delivers Danny Welbeck update

Chelsea will make the short trip across southwest London to face Fulham in the Premier League

Chelsea could be without up to four players for their Premier League opener against Fulham but Danny Welbeck could still feature at Craven Cottage this evening. Xabi Alonso is set to officially begin his tenure in the English top flight tonight, taking charge of the Blues for the first time in a West London derby after a busy summer of recruitment.

The Spaniard has been backed with eight new signings, including Danny Welbeck, Jordan Henderson, Geovany Quenda, Maxence Lacroix and Morgan Rogers. Rogers, formerly of Aston Villa, is the club's most expensive arrival this summer, costing £117m.

There has also been movement the other way, with Marc Cucurella the standout departure from Stamford Bridge. Fulham have also strengthened their squad this summer, and fans could get their first look at the new arrivals this evening.

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Ahead of the match, Alonso was asked whether Welbeck could feature, and the Blues manager replied: "Danny can be involved, he just needed a couple of days not training that much because of a little thing.

"We expect him to be back [training] on Saturday. We need to go day by day, but that is the plan at the moment. With the other players, let’s see.

"We will check and assess them, but for sure because of the World Cup they came back a little bit later and will need a little more time. But they are all available and can be selected in the line-up against Fulham, for sure."

However, there are doubts over Emmanuel Emegha, who returned to training last week after missing most of pre‑season with a hamstring issue, while Jordan Henderson is continuing his recovery from the wrist injury he picked up after England's last‑16 win over Mexico at the World Cup in July.

The former Liverpool captain was left out against Sociedad despite being pictured in training, and it remains unclear whether he will be available.

Centre‑back Aaron Anselmino is still sidelined with the hamstring injury he suffered in Chelsea's final friendly on their tour of Australia and Asia.

Wesley Fofana will not play due to suspension after his red card in last season's final league game away at Sunderland.

Elsewhere, Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap and Mykhailo Mudryk have been training away from the main squad, and it's unlikely they will be involved.

As for the hosts, Fulham will be without only two players: Tom Cairney and Joachim Andersen. Manager Alvaro Arbeloa confirmed that Cairney underwent minor surgery earlier this month, while Andersen is suspended.

"Tom underwent a minor surgical procedure to his left knee earlier today," the Spaniard said at the start of the month.

"He will now undergo a rehab programme with the club's medical and performance staff, and is expected to return to training after the September international break."