According to a report by Football London on Sunday, November 8, 2026, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has provided an update on Josh Acheampong and Emi Martinez after both players missed the club's 1-0 Premier League defeat to Sunderland.

Acheampong was unavailable for the encounter because of muscle fatigue, while Martinez was left out of the squad because Chelsea considered his return from injury too risky.

The defender's absence represented another setback for Alonso, who has been managing several fitness concerns within his squad.

Acheampong had been enjoying a good run of form, but the Chelsea manager decided not to take any unnecessary risks with his fitness.

Speaking about the young defender, Alonso said: "He missed the fitness to be ready for today, but we are expecting that he will be back after the international break. It’s a pity because he was in a good moment."

Martinez also missed Chelsea's trip to Wearside despite making considerable efforts to recover from his injury. The goalkeeper has been out of action for approximately three weeks, with the club believing he needs more time to regain full fitness.

Explaining the decision to leave him out, Alonso said: "He has made a great effort to be available, but probably it was too rash, too risky [to be selected]."

The Spaniard added: "So he will use one more week, ten days, to keep on training and get used to the mask. I’m sure after the break he will be available."

Martinez's situation has attracted particular attention because he has been called up to the Argentina national team for their upcoming international fixtures.

Argentina are scheduled to face Uruguay on November 13 before meeting Costa Rica on November 17. However, his participation in those matches could depend on his progress during training.

Meanwhile, Mike Penders remained Chelsea's goalkeeper against Sunderland, recording his sixth start and seventh appearance for the club.

The absence of Acheampong and Martinez further highlighted Chelsea's injury problems as Alonso continues his efforts to build consistency within the team.

The manager will be hoping both players recover during the international break and return to action to strengthen his squad for the remainder of the season.