Chelsea given major Cole Palmer injury update as Mauricio Pochettino haunted by bold claim

Mauricio Pochettino has been dealt a major injury boost ahead of Chelsea's clash against Aston Villa. Unai Emery will welcome the Blues to Villa Park on Saturday afternoon as either side hopes to climb the Premier League table.

Chelsea will be determined to return to winning ways following back-to-back defeats to Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final and Arsenal at the weekend. While the west London outfit are six points adrift of Manchester United in sixth, they've got a game in hand – which could prove pivotal by the end of the season.

As for Aston Villa, they enjoyed a 3-1 win over Bournemouth last time out, extending their advantage over Tottenham Hotspur in the race for Champions League qualification. Ange Postecoglou's side has two games in hand, with three of their remaining six games are against the title challengers.

With that being said, there's certainly a lot to play for this weekend, and Pochettino will be hoping to field his strongest side. Despite missing the Arsenal clash due to illness, Cole Palmer could very well return to the starting lineup.

On Thursday afternoon, the 21-year-old midfielder posed for a picture with a Chelsea supporter, who goes by @ChelseaFanTVyt on X, at Cobham. Palmer was kitted out in his training gear and looked as if he had just been put through his paces.

For now, it remains to be seen whether or not he'll be available for selection this weekend, but Pochettino will be expected to issue an update in his pre-match press conference on Friday. Palmer's potential return comes as a major boost for Chelsea, who suffered an embarrassing defeat to the Gunners.

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Arsenal put five past the Blues at the Emirates Stadium just hours after Pochettino challenged the west Londoners to prove they're not 'Palmer FC'. The Chelsea manager said: "It is a good challenge in case Palmer is not available.

"It’s a good challenge for the teammates. If I am a teammate of Cole Palmer in his position or a similar position, I am going to be motivated to go there tomorrow and show this is Chelsea Football Club, not Cole Palmer Football Club."

Then, after the game, Pochettino was asked if his team are too reliant on the playmaker. The 52-year-old said: "Maybe with him, the team today, maybe it could be the same situation. But of course, Palmer is doing well for us.

"He is the only player we have, a playmaker who links all the lines in the team. When you miss a player like this, it is not easy to replace. But I think it was a great opportunity to step up for different players.

"It's true, we didn't compete. I cannot blame the players. We are showing this inconsistency, that is why we are where we are. When we have bad days, we are so bad.

"When we are good, we are capable of everything. That is another thing we need to be aware of, that we need to increase for the future."