Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso has been speaking to the media before Wednesday’s Carabao Cup third-round tie against Leeds United at Stamford Bridge (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

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• Marco Palestra and Moises Caicedo are “not yet” match fit. Both players are being assessed game by game, but the cup fixture “isn’t the right moment to take a risk”.

• Caicedo could be back for Saturday’s Premier League game against Hull City, though. A decision will be made on his availability on Thursday or Friday.

• Levi Colwill will be available for selection, but Jordan Henderson and Emmanuel Emegha will not feature.

• On whether he will name a strong side like he did in the second-round tie against Luton Town: “We always assess everything in terms of where we are coming from and where we are going. We try to take all of the games and the cup ties very seriously. We want to field the best possible team.”

• He added: “The more players you have involved in the squad and playing minutes, the better it is for the overall level. For that reason, it is important that we use all of our players because it breeds a very good dynamic.”

• Chelsea are expecting a “very intense and very tough game” against Leeds United, who enjoy one-v-one duels. Alonso added: “We need to cope with that, find solutions for it, and know that it is going to play an important role.”

• When asked about reports in Brazil suggesting Estevao Willian is concerned about his playing opportunities this season, he replied: “No [he hasn’t said that to me]. He is ready and training well. He was given a chance to make a very good impact against Arsenal. He is fully involved in our squad.”

• Alonso reiterated that “private conversations should remain private”. However, he feels he can “100% count on” the 19-year-old this season.

• On his early impressions of summer signing Valentin Barco: “He is a competitor and a fighter. He is very good with the ball, open to adapting quickly and intelligent. We are only four games into the season in total, so it is still early days for him, but he is ready for the challenge.”

• Chelsea can be “happy” with their start to the season, but Alonso is looking for his players to also be “self-demanding”. He explained: “We are taking steps but there are still lots of steps to be taken. We need to improve in the areas where we can do better and emphasise on the areas where we are already doing well.”

• He added: “We aren’t even close to the final product. As I said in my first news conference, the Chelsea we will see in January will be a much better version [than in August].”