Chelsea, who host Arsenal in Sunday’s crucial Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium, are expected to miss 13 players, including suspected injuries to Bukayo Saka and Marc Cucurella.
Bukayo Saka limped off as Arsenal won the north London derby against Tottenham. (Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
Arsenal and Chelsea will clash for the fourth time in three months when Mikel Arteta’s side host the Blues at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Gunners will be looking to build on their 4-1 north London derby win against Tottenham last Sunday with another important victory as they bid to win their first Premier League title in 22 years.
Chelsea will be hoping to bounce back from last Saturday’s 1-1 stalemate at Burnley to give them a big boost towards Champions League qualification.
However, several players will be absent from Sunday’s match in north London. The Gunners will be without Mikel Merino as he continues to recover from foot surgery.
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Kai Havertz, Ben White and Bukayo Saka are in a race against time to get fit, with Arteta admitting in Friday’s pre-match press conference that he is waiting until Saturday to confirm their availability.
Max Dowman returned to Arsenal’s Under-21s against Ipswich Town on Friday after three months out due to an ankle problem. Sunday’s match against Chelsea may come too soon for the 16-year-old.
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As for Chelsea, the Blues have a fairly long list of injured or suspended players for this match.
Levi Colwill has been out for an extended period of time and has yet to feature this season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Jamie Bynow-Gittens and Estebao are both sidelined with thigh injuries, while Wesley Fofana is suspended after receiving a red card in the stalemate with Burnley last weekend.
Dario Essugo is another casualty of the long game, with the midfielder not expected to return until March.
Estebao is currently recovering from an injury (Image: Javier Garcia/Shutterstock)
He is yet to feature for the Blues since joining from Sporting CP for £18.5m last summer.
Marc Cucurella will also miss the game against Arsenal after sustaining a hamstring injury in the draw with Leeds United earlier this month, but Rosenior is optimistic he will be back soon.
Mykhailo Mudryk is the last Chelsea player who will definitely miss the trip to the Emirates.
Meanwhile, Filip Jorgensen could return to the squad to face Arsenal, but faces a late fitness test to feature and is unlikely to start.
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