The London Blues Chelsea has finally broken silence on the presence of Palmer for the Villa game. The London giants have failed to beat their arch rivals Arsenal in a 2-1 defeat. Rosenior’s team is in big trouble as they have dropped down to the 6th position in the Premier League. It would be interesting to see what Rosenior changes in the next game.
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior has given a team news update ahead of facing Aston Villa in the Premier League. Chelsea travels to Villa Park for a huge match on Wednesday night as the two clubs battle each other and Manchester United and Liverpool for a top-four finish and qualification for next season’s Champions League.
Chelsea’s star man Cole Palmer sparked injury fears during their defeat to Arsenal on Sunday after going down in the first half at the Emirates Stadium before being substituted in the closing minutes. But Rosenior confirmed Palmer has not suffered another groin injury.
He said: “It wasn’t that. He took a knock, but he is absolutely fine.
“Palmer is looking really good, and I think you can see the way we’ve managed him over the past six weeks. He played 83 minutes (against Arsenal) that was tactical. He is absolutely fine to start the game on Wednesday.”
Issuing a broader team news update, Rosenior added: “Marc is getting closer and looking really good. Hopefully we can get him back involved soon if not for Wednesday, then Saturday for sure. “
Injury news of other Chelsea players except Cole Palmer
A thigh injury sidelined Jamie Gittens, and he is not expected to return in time to feature against Villa. “Jamie is looking a little bit more long-term,” Rosenior told reporters last month.
Marc Cucurella has missed Chelsea’s last two matches with a hamstring injury but is nearing a return to action. Rosenior has confirmed that he hopes to have the left-back available for the clash against Villa in midweek. “Cucu is looking good, hopefully we can get him back involved if not on Wednesday, then on Saturday,” said Rosenior.
Pedro Neto will miss the match against Villa after the referee sent him off during the defeat to Arsenal. The forward received two yellow cards and will serve a one-match ban for the Blues. Estevao Willian has been sidelined with a thigh injury but is stepping up his recovery to return to the matchday squad. Rosenior confirmed that Estevao has returned to the training pitch, but a return to the squad for the clash against Villa is likely to be too soon for the forward.
“Estevao is back running on the pitch,” Rosenior said.
Inside Arsenal vs Chelsea
Arsenal saw off Chelsea with a 2-1 game to move five points clear at the top of the Premier League on Sunday.
Three corners provided the three goals, as William Saliba put the hosts in front first. Before a Cristhian Mosquera own goal sent the two sides level into half time. The second 45 saw the hosts take the lead again, their 16th this league term from a corner, as Jurrien Timber bundled over from a Declan Rice delivery, before Pedro Neto saw himself sent off with two yellow cards in the space of three minutes.
Arsenal headed into this clash buoyed after a 4-1 thrashing of their arch-rivals Spurs last weekend. Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres both scored a brace. Burnley held Chelsea at home after Zian Flemmings scored just moments from time in a game that saw Wesley Fofana sent off, meaning he missed out on Sunday.
🚨 𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪: Chelsea have failed to win 15 out of their last 16 games in official games vs Arsenal. pic.twitter.com/oTLqMh2q0w
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) March 3, 2026
Author’s insight
Chelsea are in a very bad position and desperately need a win. The Aston Villa game will be a season decider for Chelsea.
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Raunak Dasgupta
Raunak Dasgupta is a junior football writer at Football Express, where he focuses on covering stories and developments shaping the modern football landscape. His work includes reporting on news updates, analyzing ongoing narratives, and highlighting key moments that capture the attention of football fans.Through his contributions at Football Express, Raunak aims to present football coverage that is informative, engaging, and easy for readers to follow. His writing reflects a strong interest in the evolving nature of the sport and the discussions that surround it across the global football community.
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