Palmer & James boost as Rosenior confirms illness problem growing within Chelsea camp
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Liam Rosenior confirmed that both Reece James and Cole Palmer are expected return to training on Thursday, but another duo remain out with illness ahead of Saturday's clash with Brentford.
Several key players were absent in Chelsea's first-leg defeat to Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-finals on Wednesday.
James, Pamer, and Malo Gusto, who also missed the FA Cup third-round win over Charlton Athletic, were omitted from the squad due to fitness issues.
However, Rosenior said at least two of them could return this weekend.
"Yeah, both of them are training today," Rosenior said in his press conference on Thursday, when asked about James and Palmer.
"We just need to assess them after training, make sure that they come through all of the protocols they need to come through.
"It would be great to have them back in the squad. At the moment, it looks like they could be."
Unfortunately, Rosenior did not mention anything about Gusto, so it remains unclear whether the defender will join the other two in training this afternoon.
On the other hand, Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens, who missed the Arsenal derby due to fevers, remain out.
"He (Delap) is still at home at the moment recovering, as is Jamie Gittens," the Chelsea head coach explained.
"The club doctors are looking to contain a virus because some of our staff have gone down as well.
"We had a meeting today, telling everyone to wash their hands and everything which is important."
Without Delap, Rosenior had to start Marc Guiu up front against Arsenal, with Joao Pedro playing behind him, whereas Pedro Neto started on the left flank in Gittens' absence.
While it is important to avoid any risks of spreading the virus to other players in the squad, Rosenior would certainly like to have the pair back in the team for the upcoming match against Brentford.
This match will likely prove crucial to Chelsea's hopes of securing a Champions League spot through the league this season.
The Blues currently sit eighth in the table, but they could leapfrog fifth-placed Brentford with a win at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Gerry Crisandy is a freelance writer who has covered Chelsea for many years. His work has been published on The Chelsea Chronicle and Pride of London. He grew up idolising Michael Ballack and is a firm believer in expected goals.