Marco Palestra

Palestra (undisclosed) will miss Wednesday's cup game against Leeds and will continue to be assessed on a game-by-game basis, according to head coach Xabi Alonso, per footbal london. "Not yet. He is not ready to go. It's not the moment to take too early of a risk. We'll go game by game with him, but it's too early."

Analysis: Palestra remains without a competitive appearance after suffering the injury shortly before the opener against Fulham, with Xabi Alonso continuing to take a match-by-match approach rather than setting a return date. The summer arrival from Atalanta had established himself as a regular starter during pre-season and was able to cover both left and right wing-back, with Pedro Neto and Jorrel Hato currently covering those positions. Palestra earned high praise from the coach but will need to build back through full training before being considered for competitive minutes, particularly with Alonso reluctant to take an early risk.

Sep 4, 2026

Feeling much better in injury recovery

Palestra (undisclosed) feels much better in his recovery from injury, the player said to the media, according to Niccolo Righi of Tuttomercatoweb. "Since the first day, Mister Xabi Alonso and my teammates made me feel great, a lot has changed but I like everything here. I'm doing well, it's still a few days away, but I feel much better."

Analysis: Palestra had already missed the Premier League opener against Fulham and the Carabao Cup win over Luton after a setback in training, extending his absence into the match against Brighton with Pedro Neto starting on the right in his place. His encouraging comments on his recovery suggest a return could be approaching, though his exact timeline remains to be confirmed.