Mauricio Pochettino had several injury worries as Chelsea return to midweek Premier League action after the disappointment of the FA Cup semi-final exit.
The Blues fell to a 1-0 loss against holders Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday afternoon thanks to Bernardo Silva’s 84th-minute goal. But they now must dust themselves down as they concentrate on making a late charge for the European places in the final Premier League games of the season.
That kicks off on Tuesday night when Chelsea travel to the Emirates Stadium to take on title-chasing Arsenal (8pm kick-off). Ahead of the game, Pochettino has revealed that star man Cole Palmer is a major doubt due to illness.
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READ MORE: Palmer, Gusto, Chilwell – Chelsea injury news and return dates for Arsenal clash
When asked if he would be able to play against Arsenal, the Chelsea boss said : “Today, no. We need to assess him tomorrow morning. But today, no, I don’t believe he can be involved, but we need to assess him tomorrow and then we can decide.
“Even if he will be good tomorrow, maybe he is not in a condition to play. I hope he can recover from this situation as soon as possible and be involved again with the team.”
It was also confirmed that both Ben Chilwell and Malo Gusto are expected to miss the game through injury. It means that the Blues could be without as many as 10 players for the match.
With that in mind, football.london have taken a look at all the options available, and not available to Pochettino for the London derby.
Full Chelsea squad…
Goalkeepers: Djordje Petrovic, Marcus Bettinelli
Defenders : Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Alfie Gilchrist, Marc Cucurella
Midfielders : Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Conor Gallagher, Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei
Forwards : Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk, Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke, Deivid Washington
Doubts: Robert Sanchez (illness), Ben Chilwell (knee), Cole Palmer (illness)
Out : Levi Colwill (toe), Wesley Fofana (knee), Reece James (Hamstring), Malo Gusto (knee), Romeo Lavia (thigh), Lesley Ugochukwu (unknown), Christopher Nkunku (Hamstring)
Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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