Chelsea Afternoon Round-Up, Friday 23rd October 2026: Alonso Previews Tottenham Clash with Injury and Goalkeeper News

Xabi Alonso held his pre-match press conference this afternoon ahead of Saturday evening's Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge (Football.London) (ChelseaFC.com). The Chelsea boss confirmed that five players will miss the game, though one man does return to contention (Football.London). He also gave an update on Emi Martinez's injury timeframe during the session (Football.London), and official club channels have since confirmed the full team news for the Spurs match (ChelseaFC.com).

There was also a goalkeeper talking point, with Alonso stating that Mike Penders is ready to show his qualities should he be called upon (ChelseaFC.com) (Football.London) (Football.London).

On the forward line, Joao Pedro has been discussing his move to Chelsea, revealing the part Cole Palmer played in helping the transfer happen and explaining the impact Alonso has had on him since arriving, with the Brazilian hoping to be among the goals again against Spurs (Football.London).

Away from team news, Chelsea have announced that Freddy Bernal has signed a new deal with the club (ChelseaFC.com).

Finally, with the north London side making the trip to Stamford Bridge, BBC Sport have taken a look back at some of the most memorable and chaotic recent meetings between these two rivals ahead of the weekend's derby (BBC Sport).

This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.