Joao Pedro's absence for Chelsea gives a chance to Emegha

LONDON (AP) — Chelsea striker Joao Pedro was ruled out for several weeks on Tuesday because of a thigh problem, handing an opportunity for summer signing Emmanuel Emegha to show his worth on his return from injury.

Pedro's absence could be significant for Chelsea, which struggled for its usual attacking fluency in the two Premier League games the Brazil international has missed this season — a 2-0 home loss to Spurs on Saturday and a 3-0 loss at Brentford last month.

Pedro sustained his injury in training last week and is set for a second spell out this season, including Wednesday’s match at Liverpool in the English League Cup.

He also is likely to be unavailable for selection for Brazil, which has friendly matches against Japan and Singapore next month. Pedro missed his country's international matches across late September and early October because of injury, too.

“He has an injury on his thigh and he’s going be out for a few weeks,” Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said. “Let’s see how many. We don’t want to predict on that. But not ready for the next games.

“He’s a key player. We will miss him, but we have to be ready to deal with the injury, and be competitive and try and win with the players we have available. This is the situation.”

Alonso opted to play Morgan Rogers — a midfielder — as a makeshift striker against Tottenham but might switch to picking a specialist center forward against Liverpool and until Pedro returns.

One option is the 23-year-old Emegha, who completed a permanent move from Chelsea's sister club, Strasbourg, in the summer but hasn't made his debut yet because of a hamstring injury.

Emegha scored 31 goals in 78 appearances for Strasbourg and made his debut for the Netherlands last year.

“It’s important we have him available because he has special qualities,” Alonso said. “He’s been training in a good way to allow him to build a strong base for his fitness. Maybe tomorrow he has the chance to play.”

Alonso has Danny Welbeck available for the trip to Merseyside, but playmaker Cole Palmer is suspended after a sending-off against Tottenham.

“This is why you build a squad," Alonso said. "It’s a situation that can happen and you need to be looking for solutions, not looking for excuses.”

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FILE - Chelsea's Joao Pedro stops the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Fulham and Chelsea in London, Aug. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A U.S. cruise ship on a residential world voyage suspended its operations in Cambodia due to fuel costs, forcing hundreds of passengers to abandon their floating homes.

The Odyssey set sail two years ago on a three-year voyage to the seven continents marketed as combining long-term living at sea with global travel.

The Florida-based company said monthly fuel expenses per cabin that historically averaged $1,800 has recently reached an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia during the war in Iran. Villa Vie Residences said it sought to reduce fuel consumption by slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port, but was unable to offset the surge in fuel costs.

“We have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses,” it said. “Passing the full increase on to residents is not a realistic solution. Our focus now is on supporting residents, crew, and employees" while it tries to restructure.

Sihanoukville Autonomous Port said in a statement last week that the ship docked on Oct. 23 for a five-day visit. It was to head to Vietnam but remained in the port Wednesday.

The ship carried 203 passengers with 15 nationalities, mostly Americans, and 156 crew members. It had a capacity of 650 residents.

Passengers have been told to leave the ship, but the crew's status was unclear.

The Odyssey had a confirmed itinerary into November 2027. The company planned for a second residential cruise ship to enter service in early 2029, but the statement on the suspension of the Odyssey's voyage did not address the second ship.

This version has corrected the date when the voyage was expected to end from 2030 to 2027.

FILE - The Odyssey, a U.S. cruise liner operated by Villa Vie Residences is docked at Harland & Wolf ship repair facility in Belfast Harbour, Northern Ireland, on Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison, File)