Moisés Caicedo ruled out for Chelsea against Arsenal

Moisés Caicedo will not even be on Chelsea’s bench for the London derby against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. The Ecuadorian midfielder was left out of the squad after recent concerns over his fitness.

Caicedo had already missed Chelsea’s first two matches of the season because of physical problems. He returned against Brighton, but lasted only 12 minutes before asking to come off with discomfort in his right leg.

Chelsea coach Xabi Alonso said the problem did not initially appear to be a new injury or a worsening of the previous one. Alonso said Caicedo had acted cautiously and left the field because he did not feel fully comfortable. Chelsea still planned to assess him and had not issued an official medical report.

Arsenal will still have an Ecuadorian player available. Esmeraldas-born defender Piero Hincapié was included among the substitutes and will wait for an opportunity during the match. He has played only nine minutes this season and remains an alternative to Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori.

Arsenal and Chelsea entered the derby with perfect records after two Premier League rounds. Both teams remained unbeaten ahead of the match, scheduled for 10:30 at the Emirates Stadium.