Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has explained why Joao Pedro and Reece James missed the Blues' 3-0 Premier League defeat to Brentford, with the club hoping to use the international break to help Pedro recover before its next league match.

Both players were unavailable for Friday's fixture at the Gtech Community Stadium, where Chelsea conceded three second-half goals.

Speaking to Chelsea's official media before the match, Alonso said James had sustained a minor injury during the previous game against Hull City.

The Chelsea captain had not recovered sufficiently to take part against Brentford.

Alonso did not announce a confirmed return date for James.

Pedro was also absent after the club assessed his fitness ahead of the match.

Alonso said Chelsea hoped to use the international break to prepare Pedro for a return against Bournemouth, but the manager did not guarantee that the striker would be fit for that fixture.

Pedro had previously withdrawn from Brazil's squad for the international break amid concerns over his fitness.

Chelsea initially kept both players in contention for the Brentford match while the coaching and medical teams assessed their progress.

However, neither was included in the final matchday squad.

The absences affected Alonso's team selection.

Danny Welbeck started in Pedro's place, while Chelsea made several other changes to the side that had drawn with Hull City.

Midfielder Jordan Henderson also made his Chelsea debut after recovering from a broken arm sustained during the summer.

Chelsea were already managing other fitness concerns involving players including Moises Caicedo, Marco Palestra and Emmanuel Emegha.

Against Brentford, the Blues remained goalless before conceding to Jaidon Anthony in the second half.

Igor Thiago and Fabio Carvalho then scored to complete the 3-0 result.

Following the defeat, Alonso said his team had failed to maintain the required level of performance throughout the match.

He declined to use the absences of Pedro and James as an explanation for the result, instead emphasising the need for improvement across the squad.

Chelsea's next Premier League match is against Bournemouth on October 10, giving the club time to monitor its injured players during the international break.

Further updates from Chelsea's medical and coaching staff will be needed before Pedro or James can be confirmed as available for selection.