Palmer, Chilwell, Gusto - Chelsea injury news and return dates before Arsenal clash

Fresh from suffering another dose of Wembley heartache, Chelsea face a tough Premier League examination against London rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The Blues were the better team for large parts of their FA Cup semi-final with Manchester City, but they failed to put away their chances and ultimately fell to a 1-0 defeat at Wembley courtesy of Bernardo Silva's late goal.

All focus is now on the fight for European football for Mauricio Pochettino's side, who destroyed Everton 6-0 in their last top-flight fixture and lie ninth in the table, within touching distance of Manchester United, Newcastle United and West Ham United.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Chelsea's latest injury and suspension news ahead of the showdown with Arsenal, who overcame Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 on Saturday night.

Robert Sanchez

Status: Out Type of injury: Illness Possible return date: Unknown

Robert Sanchez was again absent from the ranks to face Man City due to an illness, and while he has resumed parts of team training, he should not be given the green light to make the trip to North London.

Levi Colwill

Status: Out Type of injury: Toe Possible return date: Unknown

Levi Colwill has been dealing with a troublesome toe problem for several weeks and was not ready to make his comeback at Wembley, which should also be the case here despite his return to light practice.

Christopher Nkunku

Status: Out Type of injury: Hamstring Possible return date: May 2 (vs. Tottenham Hotspur)

Christopher Nkunku is also being put through his paces gradually in training as he enters the final stages of his rehabilitation from a hamstring concern, which might clear up in time for him to return in early May.

Wesley Fofana

Status: Out Type of injury: Knee Possible return date: Unknown

The hapless Wesley Fofana remains glued to the treatment table due to his serious knee injury, and Pochettino has conceded that he does not envisage the Frenchman returning before the end of the season.

Reece James

Status: Out Type of injury: Hamstring Possible return date: Unknown

Similarly, captain Reece James is on the recovery trail from hamstring surgery, and no timeframe has been placed on his recovery, so he could very well miss the remainder of the campaign too.

Lesley Ugochukwu

Status: Out Type of injury: Hamstring Possible return date: Unknown

Lesley Ugochukwu, who is yet to appear in 2024 due to a hamstring injury, is still a few weeks away from a potential return to first-team training, so he will likely be missing until next season too.

Romeo Lavia

Status: Out Type of injury: Thigh Possible return date: Unknown

Romeo Lavia's debut season at Chelsea will end with just one appearance to his name, as the Belgian is nursing a severe thigh problem and has already been ruled out until the 2024-25 season.

Cole Palmer

Status: Major doubt Type of injury: Illness Possible return date: April 23 (vs. Arsenal)

On Monday, Chelsea fans were told the worrying news that top scorer Cole Palmer had come down with an illness, and Pochettino has conceded that he is unlikely to make the squad for the derby.

Malo Gusto

Status: Out Type of injury: Knee Possible return date: Unknown

Malo Gusto needed medical attention at Wembley over the weekend, and the right-back is now revealed to be suffering from a knee ligament issue, which is expected to keep him out of this game.

Ben Chilwell

Status: Out Type of injury: Knee Possible return date: Unknown

Similarly, Ben Chilwell has been suffering from a recurrence of the knee injury he picked up on England duty, and there is no timeframe on his return to action.

CHELSEA'S SUSPENSION LIST

Chelsea have no players suspended for this match.