Chelsea dealt major Cole Palmer blow ahead of Arsenal clash

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed he expects to be without star forward Cole Palmer when the Blues face Arsenal on Tuesday.

Victory over the Premier League leaders would see Chelsea climb up into seventh in the table, ahead of Manchester United, but that huge task became even tougher on Monday when Chelsea confirmed Palmer has been unwell and unable to train.

Asked whether Palmer could still face Arsenal, Pochettino admitted he is not confident his top scorer will be available.

"We'll see tomorrow, we need to assess tomorrow morning," Pochettino said. "But today, I don't believe he can be involved, but we need to assess him tomorrow and then we'll decide.

"If he's good tomorrow, maybe he's not in a condition to play. I hope he recovers from this situation and can be involved again as soon as possible with the team."

Despite losing the focal point of his team, Pochettino remained confident that Chelsea can still beat Arsenal.

"With or without, we believe we can win," Pochettino stressed. "The most important [thing] is the team, the collective.

"Of course, he is an important part of the team. He is doing fantastic for us, but I think this is Chelsea and there are plenty of players who can perform and do the job."

Also featuring on the latest injury report are full-back duo Malo Gusto and Ben Chilwell, the latter of whom has only played 12 minutes since coming back from a knee problem.

"Malo suffered a minor problem in the ligament in his knee - I'm not a doctor, but you asked me and I'm trying to translate what is going on," he revealed. "I hope it's not a big issue.

"Chilly also, after the national team it's the same problem that he has been suffering in the last few weeks."

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