Xabi Alonso still seeking a midfield identity at Chelsea after nine league games
On 7 November 2026, Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea remained without a settled midfield identity during the Premier League campaign after nine league games, with Roméo Lavia’s recent resurgence insufficient to resolve ongoing problems.
Alonso, who played for Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich and was a central figure for Spain between 2008 and 2012, has overseen a side averaging 47.8% possession and making the eighth-most passes in the Premier League; Chelsea have been at their most dangerous on the counterattack but the manager says midfield improvement is required. The engine room has lacked consistency, compounded by Reece James being out with a knee injury since September, and Alonso has experimented with different partnerships without finding a settled lineup.
Moisés Caicedo’s fitness has become a fresh complication: the Ecuadorian, who previously missed time with a calf injury, did not train fully this week after feeling discomfort and could be unavailable for Chelsea’s visit to Sunderland on Sunday afternoon. Striker João Pedro is sidelined with a thigh injury and centre-back Maxence Lacroix is hamstrung, adding to the selection disruption Alonso must manage.
Jordan Henderson is the obvious candidate to replace Caicedo if required, with Chelsea weighing the need for experience in a potentially physical match; Roméo Lavia offers the poise in possession Alonso seeks and produced a dominant display next to Caicedo in Chelsea’s 2-0 win against Manchester United last weekend. Lavia had not completed a full 90 minutes for Chelsea before going the distance during the Carabao Cup shootout defeat at Liverpool 10 days ago, and he also played the full match against Manchester United.
Lavia’s background and durability remain central to Chelsea’s midfield questions: the Belgium international, signed from Southampton three years ago and now 22, barely played in his first season at the club and has had multiple false dawns since joining. Club sources have not abandoned the belief in his potential; Alonso said, "There has been a change," although he did not elaborate.
Alonso stressed the wider importance of a functioning midfield in his assessment of Lavia: "Every time that the midfield area works, the team works better," Alonso said. "We saw that Rom is in a very good place. I think that for the last month he has been very consistent in his performances, and he has been very important for the team, because in the middle you need to have a brain not just for yourself but a brain for the team. "He’s good with the ball, he’s giving balance, he’s connecting very well with the players around him, with through balls. We need to push him, to help to continue, that it’s not enough, that he can take the next step. It’s not rocket science to know once you have good midfielders the team normally looks better."
Alonso has sought the type of cohesion provided by Granit Xhaka when Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga in 2024 and pursued Xhaka in the summer: "We spoke a lot in that time in Leverkusen with Granit because he was a key part of that team," Alonso said. "He glued many pieces together." Chelsea have yet to settle their midfield recruitment after the £125m sale of Enzo Fernández to Manchester City; a move for Monaco’s Lamine Camara broke down on deadline day, Bournemouth rejected approaches for newly capped England midfielder Alex Scott from Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, and the club are expected to revisit the situation in January while also being linked with Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and remaining in the market for Alex Scott, for whom they are thought to have the edge over Liverpool.
Chelsea’s immediate requirement is clearer squad options in midfield to allow Alonso to build consistency; Lavia’s form has been encouraging but injuries elsewhere continue to force changes. They travel to face the league’s bottom side Sunderland on Sunday, and Alonso will be forced into further adjustment if Moisés Caicedo cannot prove his fitness before that match.