The two Chelsea stars missed out on Tuesday’s duel away at Arsenal, who grabbed a last-gasp 1-0 win to clinch a spot in the EFL Cup final
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has confirmed that Reece James and Pedro Neto were ruled out of the EFL Cup semi-final second leg against Arsenal due to late fitness issues, with both players failing checks on Tuesday morning before the match at the Emirates Stadium.
Neither James nor Neto featured as Chelsea were beaten 1-0 on the night, a result that sent Arsenal through to the Carabao Cup final after the Gunners completed a 4-2 aggregate victory.
Chelsea had entered the return leg needing to overturn a narrow first-leg deficit but were forced to do so without two key players.
Rosenior explained that both James and Neto were close to being involved but were ultimately unable to play through their discomfort.
“Pedro and Reece had small knocks,” Rosenior said after the match. “They were just in too much pain for tonight.
“They’re giving everything. They would always put their hand up to play. Reece is an incredible captain and leader. I know Pedro is an outstanding professional and a great player.”
The Chelsea coach revealed that uncertainty over their availability had delayed his final selection. Normally, Rosenior prefers to settle his starting XI the day before a fixture, but the situation required a later call.
“We’ve had a lot to contend with the last couple of days, a couple of fitness tests this morning. Normally I name the team the day before. I named the team this afternoon when I had the full details of who was available,” he said.
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Chelsea hopeful James and Neto return for Wolves
Despite the disappointment of elimination, Rosenior struck an optimistic note regarding the short-term outlook for both players.
He suggested that James and Neto could still feature in Chelsea’s next Premier League fixture away to Wolves on Saturday, provided they respond well in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Chelsea were also cautious with Cole Palmer, who started on the bench and was introduced just after the hour mark. Rosenior explained that the decision was made with the broader season in mind.
“In terms of Cole [Palmer], Cole gave us an incredible 90-minute performance, the reason we fought back against West Ham,” Rosenior said.
“We have to take care of him. He’s a gem. We have to take care of him and make sure he’s right for the whole season. But when he came on, his moments were top.”