Cole Palmer and Reece James injury update ahead of Crystal Palace vs Chelsea

Liam Rosenior provided an injury update on Cole Palmer and Reece James ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace.

Palmer was forced to sit out of Wednesday’s 1-0 Champions League win over Pafos at Stamford Bridge due to a minor thigh issue.

The Englishman has endured a torrid time with injuries in recent months, although this latest issue is different to the groin problem that has troubled him persistently this season.

The Blues face a quick turnaround before their return to league action on Sunday, but Rosenior was confident that Palmer should be fit to play a part in the London derby.

‘Precautionary. He felt something really, really minor in the game against Brentford,’ Rosenior said at full-time when asked about Palmer’s absence.

‘It was actually quite early in the game, so credit to him to keep going through it.

‘But I don’t want to risk any players at this stage, especially players of Cole’s quality.

‘He has got a really good chance to be involved and start the game on Sunday. We will keep preparing him for that.’

There was also concern from some Chelsea fans when Reece James made way at half-time to be replaced by Estevao, but Rosenior said the withdrawal was pre-planned to manage James’ minutes.

‘Yeah, minutes. And making sure that he’s prepared for we’re playing Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday,’ the Chelsea boss said.

‘And I want to make sure Reece is available as much as possible because he’s an outstanding player and he’s a leader in our group.’

Chelsea’s narrow win against Pafos, courtesy of Moises Caicedo’s second-half strike, means the Blues sit eighth in the Champions League table heading into the final gameweek.

Rosenior’s side face a tough away trip against Napoli, but know that a win should see them qualify automatically for the last-16.

‘I think this club has never been daunted about any fixture,’ Rosenior said when asked about the challenge of taking on the defending Serie A champions in Naples.

‘We know it will be a difficult game. Antonio [Conte] is an incredible coach. But yeah, I’m not daunted by that prospect at all.

‘They have to win, which changes the dynamic of the game a little bit. But my focus now is on Crystal Palace.

‘Honestly, I’ve spoken to the players about how important the next game is. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.’

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