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Chelsea could be without top scorer Cole Palmer at Premier League leaders Arsenal on Tuesday.
Palmer is the league’s top scorer with 20 goals.
However, Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino said the 21-year-old is finding it difficult to recover from his illness in time for the game.
“We will see [Tuesday] Morning. “Today I don’t think he can be involved,” Pochettino said.
“Even if he’s good [on Tuesday] maybe he’s in no condition to play. We hope that he can recover from this situation and be integrated into the team.”
image source, Getty Images
Chelsea sit ninth in the Premier League – three points behind seventh – and Palmer’s absence would be a blow to their hopes of qualifying for Europe.
However, it would give a boost to Arsenal’s ambitions of winning the Premier League for the first time in 20 years.
The Gunners’ hopes were dented by a 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa on April 14, but they bounced back on Saturday with a win at Wolverhampton Wanderers by the same result.
Tuesday’s game will be Arsenal’s fourth in ten days but manager Mikel Arteta insists his team is unaffected by the quick turnaround between games.
He said: “We keep doing what we’ve been doing – focusing on the next game and the task ahead and preparing really well – just like we did in the time we had have.”
“The boys seem ready to get going again.”
Asked about the prospect of facing a Blues team without the scoring threat of Palmer, he added: “I have no control over that, just my players who are available.”
“Whatever her [Chelsea] If you look at the squad quality they’re showing out there, it’s great.
“They are doing very well, they have had good results recently and have played much better than their position in the table suggests.”
“It will definitely be a tough game.”
Defender Jurrien Timber is out for Arsenal as he continues to recover from a serious knee injury sustained on his debut. He will play for the Gunners U21s this week.
