Chelsea are hopeful of having Cole Palmer available for their Premier League clash against Crystal Palace this afternoon after a fitness boost ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park.
Injury Updates and Squad News
Palmer, who missed Chelsea’s 1-0 Champions League win over Pafos due to a minor thigh strain, has rejoined training and is expected to feature in the squad for the upcoming match. Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior provided an update on Friday, saying, “Cole is in a good place. He joined training today, which is really positive. We’ll assess his reaction to training.”
There’s also good news for Jamie Gittens and Estevao, who were unavailable for last weekend’s match against Brentford due to illness but were fit enough to sit on the bench against Pafos. Both are expected to be in contention for the Crystal Palace match.
However, goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen remains a doubt after he was substituted at half-time in midweek. Although scans have revealed his injury is not as severe as initially feared, he is still set to miss the Palace game. Chelsea are optimistic that Jorgensen will be fit enough for next week’s final Champions League group-stage match against Napoli.
Several key players are still sidelined, including Tosin Adarabioyo, who sustained an injury against Brentford. Romeo Lavia and Levi Colwill are also unavailable, and Dario Essugo has been ruled out for a month after injuring himself in training.
Rosenior will have to decide between Joao Pedro and Liam Delap to lead the line, while he can choose between Malo Gusto and captain Reece James for the right-back position.
The Blues are predicted to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Sanchez in goal; James, Fofana, Chalobah, and Cucurella in defense; Caicedo and Fernandez as the central midfielders; Estevao, Palmer, and Neto in attack; and Joao Pedro leading the front line.
The match is scheduled for 2pm GMT on Sunday, January 25, 2026, at Selhurst Park.
Injuries: Lavia, Colwill, Tosin, Jorgensen, Essugo
Doubts: Palmer
