Xabi Alonso made his feelings on summer signing perfectly clear with brutal Chelsea decision vs Spurs

Xabi Alonso's decision to not select Danny Welbeck for Chelsea's clash against Tottenham Hotspur, following Joao Pedro's injury, caused the hosts problems at Stamford Bridge.

Pedro was a shock absentee from the Chelsea squad against Spurs. He was pictured in training on Friday, and Alonso made no mention of an injury at his pre-match press conference.

The Spaniard then confirmed before the game that the Brazilian had picked up a minor injury, stating: "At the moment has some liquid, so we have to do some tests to know how big the injury is. It's disappointing, but we need to carry on."

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Xabi Alonso snubs Danny Welbeck after Joao Pedro injury vs Tottenham

An injury to Pedro, who has scored five goals in seven Premier League matches, was a major blow to the Blues ahead of their clash with their London rivals.

But instead of making a like-for-like change and using a natural centre-forward such as Danny Welbeck, Alonso unleashed Geovany Quenda on the left wing for his first league start following a summer move from Sporting Lisbon.

Cole Palmer continued in his role as a right playmaker, while Morgan Rogers - who normally operates in the left channel behind the striker - was used as a false nine.

Rogers isn't a natural centre-forward and doesn't possess the instincts of one. That was evident during the first half against Spurs, when the Blues could have benefited from having someone with a striker's instinct to spearhead their line.

It was arguably the perfect opportunity to bring Welbeck into the side for his first league start since joining from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer, but Alonso's decision to snub him suggests that he only sees him as an option to bring off the bench late on in games.

Chelsea arguably could have done with his physical presence up top during the first half and, after watching the Blues struggle to maintain attacks, one fan wrote: "Alonso should have played with Welbeck since the identity remains the same, long balls. We are not fluid enough to play with a false 9."

"Good thinking from Xabi but Quenda is not in this match. An Estevao and Neto false 9 or a Welbeck looks like the best option," another commented.

"We should bring in Welbeck. Need a physical presence in their box," a third posted, while someone else agreed: "This false nine never works. Just slap Welbeck up top and give us a target man."

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What Xabi Alonso has said about Danny Welbeck

Chelsea shocked the Premier League after signing a 36-year-old Welbeck from Brighton, and the veteran was seen as a perfect mentor for a young team.

Jordan Henderson was also captured for a similar reason, but instead of just warming the bench, he's started the last three league matches and even produced a masterclass against Bournemouth with two goals and one assist.

Unfortunately, Alonso doesn't see Welbeck having the same role at Stamford Bridge, though the former Real Madrid boss does rate the striker, praising his influence on the squad after scoring against Luton Town in the Carabao Cup in August.

"He has many qualities. As a player, you see how intelligent he is, and he links well. Out of the box, he is able to combine, and in the box he is very intelligent to be in the right place. We saw that [against Luton]," Alonso said.

"On a daily basis, he is a great influence for the rest of the players. He trains really hard and is raising all the standards in training. This is something we think is important."