Mauricio Pochettino faces a wealth of Chelsea players missing the visit of Arsenal due to injury, with the Blues receiving disappointing news on Cole Palmer and many more.

The Blues host the Gunners at Stamford Bridge on Saturday as the Premier League resumes following the international break. Chelsea entered the pause in domestic games after hitting a rich vein of form. But a flurry of injury concerns may now hinder Pochettino’s momentum.

Chelsea sit 11th in the table ahead of facing joint-leaders Arsenal having won their past two games. The results were only Pochettino’s second and third wins since taking charge in west London in May. Now, he will hope to secure the Blues’ first win over the Gunners since 2021.

Chelsea injury list ahead of hosting Arsenal

But Pochettino is also hoping for positive news on the Blues’ injury situation before Chelsea host Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. So, with that in mind, here is their current injury situation…

Cole Palmer injury latest

Chelsea are monitoring the injury that Cole Palmer sustained with England’s U21s during the October international break. The 21-year-old suffered a thigh injury as the Young Lions beat Serbia 9-1 in a Euro qualifier. He went off after 52 minutes after reporting he had a dead leg.

England U21 boss Lee Carsley refused to take any chances and also omitted Palmer from his side against Ukraine. The boss also sent the Blues’ £40m, rising to £42.5m, summer signing from Manchester City back to Stamford Bridge. But Carsley doubts Palmer has a huge injury.

“I think Cole will be fine,” Carsley said, via Goal. “But we don’t take any chances with any of the players. If there is a slight doubt that they’re going to miss a game at the weekend, we get them back to the clubs as quickly as we can. We could’ve kept Cole here another day.”

Nicolas Jackson injury latest

Pochettino welcomed Nicolas Jackson back into the Chelsea side at Burnley only to receive news of an injury during the international break. The 22-year-old missed the Blues’ win over Fulham due to suspension. But he then withdrew from the Senegal side to undergo surgery.

Jackson required a small operation on his wrist after using a splint in his past two outings for Chelsea. The forward first reported some discomfort in his wrist before taking on Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup. But football.london claims he is unlikely to miss any games.

Armando Broja injury latest

Albania boss Sylvinho handed Chelsea some frustrating news in the international break after confirming that Armando Broja sustained an injury. The 22-year-old left his national team to return to west London having just recovered from the knee injury he sustained in December.

Broja also scored on his first start since last year to help Chelsea pip Fulham 2-0. He is now in a race against time to avoid missing any domestic games. But the Blues are well-informed of his situation having spoken with Albania regarding Broja’s injury before he left their camp.

“For Broja, I have to give bad news,” Sylvinho declared, via quotes by Metro. “He was with the team for only two days. After consulting with our doctors and Chelsea’s, he can’t make it, he won’t be ready for tomorrow.”

Reece James injury latest

Pochettino could receive some good news regarding the injury situation at Chelsea ahead of hosting Arsenal with Reece James closing on a return. The Blues’ latest captain has been out of action since the first game of the term against Liverpool after suffering a hamstring issue.

The 23-year-old picked up the problem in training after the 1-1 draw with the Reds. But now football.london reports that Chelsea are weighing up recalling James against Arsenal. He has made real progress in his rehabilitation at Cobham but some doubts remain over his fitness.

Mykhailo Mudryk injury latest

Fears grew at Chelsea when Mykhailo Mudryk appeared to sustain an injury with Ukraine in October. The 22-year-old limped off late on in their 2-0 win over North Macedonia. He went down in the 80th minute and received treatment but ultimately went off eight minutes later.

Axel Disasi injury latest

The international break took another Chelsea player to an injury as Axel Disasi tore a muscle in his left thigh. It saw the defender withdraw from the France squad within hours of landing his call-up to Les Bleus. Pochettino now also faces being without the 25-year-old for weeks.

The Evening Standard reports that Disasi will miss at least the visit of Arsenal to Chelsea due to his injury. Blues staff are still assessing the severity of his injury. Any prolonged absence is set to come as a huge blow for Pochettino having relied on his £38.5m arrival from Monaco.

Benoit Badiashile injury latest

Pochettino is yet to field Benoit Badiashile in a competitive match since taking charge of the Blues. The 22-year-old developed a hamstring problem during pre-season and also suffered a few setbacks in his recovery. But a return to fitness is now on the cards for the Frenchman.

The Evening Standard claims that Badiashile is on the fringes of making a return from injury. He is likely to be a few weeks out from featuring after making progress through the October international break at Cobham. But the visit of Arsenal to Stamford Bridge may be too soon.

Romeo Lavia injury latest

Chelsea are still to afford Romeo Lavia his debut since joining from Southampton this August for £53m, rising to £58m. The Belgian arrived lacking match fitness before suffering an ankle injury during training at Cobham in September. He is now working his way into game fitness.

But the Daily Mail gives Chelsea frustrating news with Lavia unlikely to return from his injury until late November. The 19-year-old has taken a step forward in his recovery after suffering ligament damage. He is doing light rehab in the pool and no longer needs a protective boot.

Ben Chilwell injury latest

Pochettino confirmed ahead of facing Fulham in September that Ben Chilwell had suffered a ‘bad injury’. The left-back developed a hamstring issue late on in their 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup. He had also captained the Blues at home to the Seagulls.

Reports by The Telegraph also confirmed Pochettino’s fears that Chilwell is unlikely to return before December. Further tests on the injury revealed significant damage and may not even return before the New Year. Chilwell must show progress soon to feature around Christmas.

“I think it’s bad news,” Pochettino said of James’ injury, via the Chelsea website. “From what the doctor told me it’s not a good thing, it looks like a bad injury… The mechanism was bad, it was in the last minute of the game. We are really sad about the news about Ben.”

Expected return: Manchester United (December 6)

Christopher Nkunku injury latest

Chelsea paid RB Leipzig £53m to get Christopher Nkunku in June but are yet to see him play in blue. The 25-year-old sustained a serious knee injury over pre-season and is still facing a lengthy spell out. Per football.london, he may not return before late 2023 or into early 2024.

Wesley Fofana injury latest

Pochettino has received some disappointing injury news since taking charge of Chelsea. But Simon Phillips reporting in October that Wesley Fofana could be out for the entire campaign may be the worst. He has not kicked a ball this term after needing surgery for his ACL injury.

Chelsea are ‘fearful’ that Fofana suffered a season-ending injury over the summer. It would be a cruel blow for the 22-year-old to miss the entire 2023/24 term having also missed lots of last term. He sat out 15 Premier League games with a knee injury after joining for £75m.