The Chelsea head coach says the team will sometimes use three central midfielders while James recovers from knee surgery, and has praised the options he has in the position.
Xabi Alonso has said Chelsea will sometimes line up with a three-man midfield while Reece James is out. James is expected to be sidelined for around three months after knee surgery. Alonso said he would sometimes need “a third midfielder” for “a different approach to the game”, even though Chelsea have tended to play a 3-4-2-1 under him. He was speaking ahead of Saturday’s 12.30pm BST game at Everton.
The midfield options
James’s absence is likely to increase the role of Jordan Henderson, 36, who appears best placed to partner Moises Caicedo. Valentin Barco, a summer signing, and the Belgian international Romeo Lavia, both 22, provide competition.
Alonso said: “Sometimes we will need a third midfielder as well. It is not just that we will play with two midfielders. Sometimes we will need a third for a different approach to the game.”
On Barco, he said: “It was Valentin’s first starting game [in the Premier League] and he was very competitive. The minutes he has played with us, even in the [Carabao Cup], he has been very competitive. He doesn’t care who the opponent is. He goes. He goes. That warrior, fighting spirit he brings to the team is very positive.”
He described Lavia, who has had injury problems in the past, as “super available” and in “a good momentum”. “He’s done really well. He’s been available. He’s played a lot of games. For him especially, that he’s been able to be training regularly, playing regularly, playing 90 minutes. So it’s been great,” Alonso said. “He played very well with Belgium. He played 25 minutes with us and he did really well. And we need to keep him with the other midfielders because that area is fundamental for our game.”
Caicedo and Henderson
Caicedo, back from injury, and Henderson, who scored twice on his full home debut, impressed together in last weekend’s 5-1 win. Alonso said: “It is one game. But we saw positives. I think that Moi helps Hendo. Hendo helps Moi.”
He added: “In terms of personalities, they match well. Hendo has this energy to go. He’s very active. He covers a lot of pitch. And to find the balance with Moi, that he’s more in the position and that he has this stability to be in good distances with everything. It was a good start, and we need to keep building from that.”
Henderson became only the third Chelsea player to score twice on his Premier League home debut, after Mario Stanic in August 2000 and Gonzalo Higuain in February 2019, according to the research notes. He was also Chelsea’s first Premier League scorer from a direct free kick since Enzo Fernandez against Liverpool in May. The win was Caicedo’s 150th competitive appearance for Chelsea, and Lavia is one short of 50.
Transfers, captaincy and other injuries
Alonso said James’s injury would not alter Chelsea’s January transfer plans, and the club does not intend to make an emergency midfield signing. He believes the squad has enough cover. James’s exact recovery timetable is uncertain. He may be out until around January, and reports suggest he could miss games against Tottenham (24 October), Liverpool in the Carabao Cup (28 October), Manchester United (31 October) and Sunderland (8 November). He would also miss Manchester City if the three-month estimate holds.
Alonso named Levi Colwill, who captained Chelsea in a win over Bournemouth, and Caicedo as candidates to wear the armband. He said Chelsea had several leaders, and that James would stay involved with the dressing room.
There are other absences. Striker Emmanuel Emegha, 23, signed from Strasbourg in the summer, has had another physical problem, suffered in training on Thursday. He misses the Everton game and has still to make a competitive debut. He should resume training next week. Winger Jamie Gittens will be out for several more weeks with an ankle injury suffered on England Under-21 duty. Alonso reported no other fitness concerns.
Defensive record and Everton
Chelsea have conceded in each of their last 22 Premier League games, which the club’s statistical preview says is their longest such run since 1960-61. Their last league clean sheet came against Brentford on 17 January. Chelsea have scored 15 and conceded 13 in six league games, and no other club’s matches have produced more goals this season. An extra midfielder could add defensive cover, but that is a possible benefit and not a confirmed formation for Everton.
Chelsea have won only one of their last nine Premier League visits to Everton and failed to score in seven of them. Everton beat them 3-0 in March 2026 and are unbeaten in six league games this season. Both clubs have 10 points, with Everton fifth and Chelsea sixth. The game is at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
