Chelsea is poised to face Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday with a significant roster setback, as eleven players are expected to be unavailable for the Premier League clash.
The absence of nearly half the squad is a result of a combination of injuries and suspensions. Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer are suspended following yellow cards in the 2-1 loss to Wolves on Sunday.
Enzo Fernandez remains sidelined due to ongoing recovery, while Moises Caicedo’s availability is uncertain as he missed the Wolves clash due to fever.
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In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, manager Pochettino provided updates on the squad’s status. He mentioned, “No, Enzo no. But Mo (Caicedo), hopefully yes. Today, he was better, yesterday (Saturday) he was a possibility – but it’s a high fever. I hope he can train a little bit and be ready for Palace. With Lesley (Ugochukwu), we will assess him tomorrow, but I think he felt his hamstring again. I said in the press conference it is important how we reintroduce players, but we were forced because of the problem with Moises to play Lesley.”
On a positive note, Noni Madueke and Romeo Lavia are fully fit after missing a significant part of the season due to injuries.
The unavailable players for the Crystal Palace clash include Marc Cucurella, Robert Sanchez, Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Carney Chukwuemeka, Enzo Fernandez, and Lesley Ugochukwu due to injuries. Additionally, Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer are suspended.
Christopher Nkunku is expected to start after impressing in a short cameo against Wolves, scoring the consolation goal for Chelsea in the 96th minute.
Despite Chelsea receiving a record 56 yellow cards in the Premier League this season, Pochettino does not consider it a disciplinary problem. He stated, “It’s representative of the fact that we play for Chelsea, we are a big club, and you feel the pressure. When you are frustrated and lack a bit of experience, it’s somewhere we can improve. It’s Palmer’s first season in the Premier League, and it is normal. He is playing for Chelsea. Of course, it’s frustrating. But the players care, the players want to win. It’s not about a lack of discipline. It’s about having the ability to read the situation of the game.”