Chelsea star Palmer could miss Arsenal game

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Cole Palmer has been struggling with illness and is a major doubt for Chelsea’s visit to Arsenal on Tuesday.

Palmer has been the Blues’ standout player this season and is joint-top scorer in the Premier League with 20 goals.

But he hasn’t trained since Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final defeat by Manchester City at Wembley.

“We need to assess him tomorrow morning. Today I don’t believe he can be involved,” boss Mauricio Pochettino said on Monday afternoon.

“Even if he is good tomorrow, maybe he is not in a condition to play. I hope he recovers from this situation as soon as possible to be involved again.”

Palmer scored four goals against Everton and has been outstanding since his move to west London.

But Pochettino is confident the Blues cope against Arsenal without the 21-year-old.

He said: “We believe that we can win. He’s an important part of the team and is doing fantastic, but there are plenty of players who can perform and do the job.”

The Chelsea head coach also provided an injury update on Malo Gusto and Ben Chilwell, who are also under assessment.

Pochettino explained: “Malo suffered a minor knee problem. I hope it’s not a big issue. Chilwell has the same problem he’s been suffering in the last few weeks.”