7 Players Set to Miss Chelsea vs Arsenal as Cole Palmer Returns for Enzo Maresca’s Side
- Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has confirmed that star man Cole Palmer is fit to start against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge
- The England international was due to return against Barcelona but suffered a freak injury and is now fully recovered and ready to play
- Arsenal have no fresh injury concerns apart from long-term absentees and Leandro Trossard,and who had an issue against Bayern
Chelsea and Arsenal are set to be without up to six players as Enzo Maresca confirms the big news that Cole Palmer is back in action for the Blues.
Arsenal and Chelsea are set to square off in a London derby at Stamford Bridge after big wins against Bayern Munich and Barcelona in the Champions League.
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The red and blue sides of London are first and second on the Premier League table, with six points separating them after 12 rounds of matches
Mikel Arteta’s side could extend their lead at the top of the table, or Maresca's blue army could close up the gap to their historic rivals to just three points.
The Gunners are considered title favourites, while the Blues have found themselves in a similar situation as last season, when they denied being title contenders.
Chelsea team news
Chelsea will be without Levi Colwill, who is still recovering from the anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered at the end of the season, while Romeo Lavia remains out with a muscle injury.
The Blues received a double injury boost with the return of Cole Palmer and Dario Essugo, both of whom have been out since the start of the season.
Palmer was billed to return against Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, but suffered a freak injury after hitting his toe into a furniture at home.
“Yes, Cole is available for both [to play and to start]. We are looking okay [after Barcelona]. Dario Essugo also took part in the session this morning, which is good news too,” he told Chelsea TV.
“Having Cole back is good news, and everyone is happy,’ added Maresca. The fans are happy, his team-mates are happy, and the most important thing is that Cole is happy.”
Palmer's return means that Estevao Willian, who starred against Barcelona, will drop to the bench, even though Maresca claimed that the two players can play together.
Source: Getty Images
Arsenal team news
Mikel Arteta will be without up to five players, including the Brazilian duo ofGabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Jesus, who is just recovering from an ACL injury.
Ethan Nwaneri, Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres are close to returning, but Sunday’s match could come early for them, while Leandro Trossard, who suffered a knock in midweek, will be assessed.
There’s a potential chance,” he told Arsenal.com about the Belgian. “There’s another test today, and we have to see how he’s feeling. It doesn’t look much, so we still have a few hours, and we’ll have to see.”
Supercomputer predicts Premier League winner
Legit.ng reported that a supercomputer backed Arsenal to win the Premier League title this season after going six points clear at the top of the table.
Mikel Arteta’s side returns to league action on Sunday, and a win against rivals Chelsea could cement their status as the favourite for the title.
Source: Legit.ng
