Update: Liam Rosenior has confirmed the latest on Chelsea’s injury situation ahead of Brentford’s visit to Stamford Bridge
Chelsea Football Newsletter
Chelsea have been handed a huge double injury boost after Cole Palmer and Reece James both resumed training ahead of the west London derby against Brentford.
Neither player has featured so far under Liam Rosenior, missing the new head coach’s first game in charge at Charlton last weekend in the FA Cup and then not passed fit in time for Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg tie against Arsenal.
Rosenior said after the latter game that he hoped Palmer would be back in training on Friday after dealing with what he confirmed was a minor thigh strain, also optimistic that James would be available for Brentford’s visit to Stamford Bridge after taking a knock to his hip.
Addressing the media again on Thursday afternoon, the Chelsea boss revealed that both players were now back out on the grass at Cobham and potentially on track for the weekend.
“Both of them are training today,” Rosenior said. “They need to go through the protocols first. Hopefully both can be in the squad but at the moment it looks like both could be.”
However, Chelsea continue to battle the spread of an outbreak of a virus that saw both Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens ruled out against Arsenal.
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Both players missed training on Thursday as they continue to recover at home, with the club holding a meeting to provide reminders about best hygiene practices as they bid to contain the illness that is now affecting several staff members.
“He’s still at home at the moment, recovering, as is Jamie Gittens,” Rosenior said when asked about Delap.
“The club doctors are doing everything they can to contain what looks like a virus. A few of the staff have gone down, too. We had a meeting today about washing hands, the basics.”