Chelsea beat Charlton Athletic 5-1 in the FA Cup at the weekend and had to do it without Cole Palmer and Reece James.
Palmer and James were both absent because of small injuries, but they were clearly not needed in the end.
Liam Rosenior will want the pair for the first leg of Chelsea’s Carabao Cup semi-final tie against Arsenal, though.
What are your first impressions of Liam Rosenior’s tactics following Chelsea’s FA Cup win against Charlton?
What differences did you notice between his style and Enzo Maresca's? 👀
Chelsea defender Jorrel Hato discussing Liam Rosenior's style of play
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images/Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
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Ahead of the fixture, the new Chelsea manager has given an injury update on the two England internationals, as well as Malo Gusto.
Chelsea's English head coach Liam Rosenior walks on the pitch ahead of the English Premier League football match between Fulham and Chelsea
Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP via Getty Images
Liam Rosenior could make decision on Chelsea duo Cole Palmer and Reece James on day of game
The good news for Chelsea fans is that Rosenior has not completely ruled Palmer and James out of the London derby.
However, the 41-year-old has confirmed that he may not be able to make a decision until the very day of the game, which is not a great sign.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, which has been shared by football.london, Rosenior said: “Moi is suspended. We’ve had no injury problems coming out of Charlton. I will make a decision on Cole, Malo and Reece tomorrow or on the morning of Wednesday.”
What are YOUR thoughts on Liam Rosenior’s first week? 👀
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With Moises Caicedo suspended, Rosenior will surely want to have James as a midfield option.
Under Enzo Maresca, including in Chelsea’s clash against Arsenal in the Premier League this season, James has played in midfield and absolutely thrived there.
Regarding Palmer, if he is absent, Facundo Buonanotte could come into the side. The Argentine started in the victory over Charlton and looked bright, though Arsenal will be an entirely different test.
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