Mauricio Pochettino issues fitness update on Palmer and Fernandez
Chelsea boss delivered some good and some bad news for the fans.
Cole Palmer is available for Saturday night's Premier League match between Chelsea and Aston Villa.
Due to illness, the attacking midfielder—who now shares the top scoring spot in the Premier League with 20 goals—was unable to play in the 5-0 loss at Arsenal.
With Pochettino being evasive about his comeback date after the battering on Tuesday at the Emirates Stadium, Palmer was also seen with heavy strapping on his thigh during Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City.
But on Thursday, Palmer was seen returning to training, giving his team a major boost before their trip to Villa Park.
As reported by Fabrizio Romano on his X account, Pochettino has admitted that Palmer will be available to face Unai Emery's Aston Villa side.
Pochettino said, as quoted by Romano:
“At the end, it's the reality. Cole is a key player for us”.
“He is showing we are struggling a little bit without him. That's a reality we can't hide”.
In a disappointing season for the Blues, Palmer has been their silver lining.
After joining the club from Manchester City last summer, Palmer has been a huge hit and set to be in contention for the Premier League player of the year award.
The English attacking midfielder has the same number of Premier League goals as Man City striker Erling Haaland.
Pochettino also provided update about Enzo Fernandez, who is set to miss the rest of the season for the Premier League club.
The Argentine manager said, as quoted by Romano on his X account:
“Enzo Fernández feels pain, he was not playing in normal conditions and so the most important thing is to fix the problem”.
“If he can’t perform, it’s not good for us, for the club and for everyone”.
Chelsea travel to Villa Park on Saturday evening, hoping to come back from their humiliating defeat against Arsenal in midweek.
The Blues are currently ninth in the Premier League but they have two games in hand on the team above them that is West Ham United.
Pochettino's men are hoping to qualify for Europe next season with the Europa League in their reach.
Fabrizio Romano has provided the latest update about Chelsea's links to Ruben Amorim and what the future holds for Pochettino.