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Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro will miss Chelsea’s crucial Premier League match against Brighton due to injury. It is a major setback for the Blues, with both players seen as key attacking options.
Palmer is sidelined with a slight hamstring issue, with his last Premier League absence coming in January’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Explaining Palmer’s absence, Rosenior told Sky Sports: “Cole has had a bit of tightness in his hamstring that he’s been carrying. He’s out for this game and we’ll see how he moves on for the FA Cup semi-final.”
Joao Pedro was on the grass in training on Monday, with a late fitness decision expected on Tuesday, but he has not recovered in time. He had already missed Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to Manchester United with a minor thigh problem.
While there had been hope he could return against Brighton, he has not made the squad at all and will not even feature on the bench against his former club.
Asked if he could have risked Pedro against his former club, Rosenior added: “No, not for this one. I think Joao will be good for Sunday, but this game is too close for him.”
Pedro has scored 19 goals in all competitions this season after joining Chelsea from Brighton last summer for an initial £55million fee, plus up to £5m in add-ons.
Chelsea are also without Estevao, who has been ruled out after picking up an injury against Manchester United last Saturday, when he was forced off during the defeat.
The Blues are enduring a poor run of form in the Premier League, having suffered a fourth straight defeat against Manchester United on Saturday. The 1-0 loss at Stamford Bridge dealt a major blow to their Champions League hopes.
Chelsea now sit sixth in the table, seven points behind Liverpool in fifth, which is expected to be the final qualification spot. That leaves their midweek trip to Brighton as a must-win fixture, though they face a tough test against one of the league’s in-form sides.
Brighton are also pushing for European qualification and are unbeaten in four matches following their 2-2 draw with Tottenham. A win at the Amex would see Fabian Hürzeler’s side move above Chelsea into sixth place ahead of the rest of the Gameweek 34 fixtures.