Cole Palmer is set to miss out on Chelsea’s Sunday encounter against Arsenal as Blues seek to avenge 5-0 loss at Emirates Stadium last season.
Palmer was expected to be involved for the Blues’ trip across London to the Emirates Stadium this weekend, but the 22-year old was surprisingly left out of Enzo Maresca’s squad list which was announced 75 minutes before kickoff.
The England international was replaced with Argentine teammate, Enzo Fernandez.
This is the second-season that Palmer has missed out on Chelsea’s trip to Arsenal, having sat out last year’s visit due to a cold. The Blues, then managed by current USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino, were thrashed 5-0 on that occasion.
Explaining Palmer’s absence, Blues boss Maresca said: “He’s not in the toilet, for sure! He had, or as we know, last week some problems [with illness]. And unfortunately yesterday he had a very small problem. We think, after the international break, he will be back with us.
“He had an injury yesterday during the session. It was a very light session. That’s why we think it is nothing important. But we wait and the feeling is he will be back after the next international break.”
Palmer had joined the Blues from Manchester City in 2023 and is currently on a run of 10 games without a goal and had missed a penalty in last week’s win against Leicester City.
It remains to be seen whether Palmer will have to pull out of the England squad having been named among Thomas Tuchel’s first selections for this month’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers with Albania and Latvia.
Chelsea will turn to action on April 3 when they face Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.
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