According to Evening Standard, Alonso praised two academy players ahead of Chelsea's away match against Arsenal, with 16-year-old Reggie Watson and Nikolaj Azazuli potentially being brought into first-team plans.

Alonso mentioned two of Chelsea's academy players during his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea's clash with Arsenal.

Chelsea will travel to Emirates Stadium on Sunday, and Alonso believes the team has sufficient options in midfield, despite the club failing to sign a replacement for Enzo Fernández before the transfer deadline.

Enzo Fernández departed for Manchester City for £120 million, and Chelsea had initially agreed a £47 million deal with Monaco for midfielder Lamine Camara, but Monaco pulled out of the deal at the last minute.

Reece James and Caicedo are still expected to be central to Alonso's plans, but the Ecuador midfielder suffered an injury shortly after coming on as a substitute in the Brighton match, and his availability remains uncertain.

Lavia has started two matches this season and performed well, but he has been plagued by injuries since joining Chelsea in 2023.

Summer signings Barco and experienced midfielder Henderson also provide Alonso with more options. However, Henderson is currently sidelined with injury, while Reggie Watson and Nikolaj Azazuli have emerged as potential candidates for the first team.

Alonso said: "We have players with different characteristics and personalities. Valentin is still very young, but he brings great energy. We also have Henderson, who is composed, has an excellent mentality, understands the game, so he is getting closer to playing time."

Alonso added: "There is also Romeo, Reece, even Gusto can play, Watson can too, as well as academy player Mahdi."

"We have many options and need to maintain the right balance. We believe the team has the quality and ability to compete throughout the season and face any opponent."

16-year-old Watson is the son of former Crystal Palace and Wigan Athletic midfielder Ben Watson. He participated in Chelsea's pre-season tour in Australia and subsequently trained with the first team.

Watson was on the bench for Chelsea's League Cup victory over Luton in August but did not feature.

Nikolaj Azazuli, also 16, also took part in this summer's tour. He faced Tottenham Hotspur and later started for Juventus in Hong Kong.

As Chelsea prepares for the season's first major test, both young players could now feature in Alonso's plans.

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