Cole Palmer is available again for Chelsea. The England forward has served his one-match ban and can play when Manchester United visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday at 12:30pm UK time.
Palmer was sent off for two yellow cards in last weekend’s 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham. The ban counted across domestic competitions, so he missed Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie at Liverpool instead of the United game. Chelsea lost that one on penalties.
Alonso backs his forward
Xabi Alonso was asked about Palmer again at his press conference on Friday. He called him “smart” and said the player loves the game. The Chelsea head coach wants a reaction after a hard week, with two defeats in a row in two different competitions.
Lacroix out until after the break
The bad news is in defence. Maxence Lacroix went off before half-time at Anfield with a hamstring problem, and Alonso said he does not expect him to be ready before the international break.
Alonso backed Wesley Fofana to step up alongside Levi Colwill and Josh Acheampong. Jorrel Hato is also out, along with João Pedro, Reece James and Jamie Gittens. There was better news on Moisés Caicedo, who came off in the second half on Wednesday but is fine to play, and Pep Chavarría is back in the squad.
Emiliano Martínez is still recovering from a fractured jaw and will not play on Saturday.
United still looking for a win
Manchester United arrive in poor form. Michael Carrick’s team have gone eight games without a win in all competitions, and last weekend they lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth. Reports say the pressure on Carrick is growing.
There is some help on the way. Captain Bruno Fernandes is available after he was an unused substitute against Bournemouth, and Kobbie Mainoo is back in contention. Benjamin Šeško is still out with a shin injury.
Our take
Palmer is the player Chelsea miss most when he is not there. Without him and without João Pedro, they did not score from open play against Tottenham or Liverpool. Getting him back is bigger news than any change in defence.
For United, this is a bad time to visit a Chelsea side that wants to make up for a poor week. But Chelsea are short at the back, and a team that has not won in eight games can still be dangerous when nobody expects much from them.
Who wins at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea or Manchester United? Tell us in the comments.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Cole Palmer by Timmy96 (CC0), Bruno Fernandes by Bryan Berlin (CC BY-SA 4.0), Stamford Bridge by Ank kumar (CC BY-SA 4.0).
