Chelsea are preparing for two significant fixtures, starting with FC Copenhagen in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday, followed by a clash against Arsenal.
Manager Enzo Maresca may opt for heavy squad rotation against Copenhagen, in the Round of 16 second leg, to ensure his key players remain fresh for the London derby.
This decision is influenced by a virus that has affected several first-team stars. Reece James missed the Leicester City match entirely, while Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku featured but struggled, with Palmer notably missing his first Premier League penalty.
With James potentially still recovering, Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah are likely candidates to fill in at right-back.
Fofana delivered an impressive performance against Leicester, while Chalobah has been solid since returning from injury.
Palmer, a vital attacking force for Chelsea this season, may start on the bench against Copenhagen to conserve energy.
If he is not fully fit, Maresca could deploy either Nkunku or Joao Felix in his usual attacking midfielder role, while Enzo Fernandez is another option in that position.
“Cole, Reece, and Christo today have been their first session. They had some problems. Today they are all better,” Maresca told the media.
“As I said, yesterday they were not even here all of them and today they trained with us and we will see tomorrow if we use all of them.”
