Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has revealed whether Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson will be making their returns from injury against Tottenham Hotspur.
The Blues went into the March international break on the back of barely laying a glove on Arsenal in a 1-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium.
Although wins had been recorded in their previous fixtures, it followed a theme that had started in early February when Jackson and Madueke sustained injuries that would keep them out for over a month.
At the same time, Palmer has failed to score since January 14 and missed the trip to Arsenal due to a muscle problem, one which also kept him out of England duty.
However, ahead of Thursday night’s London derby versus Spurs, Maresca has suggested that the trio are in contention to make an appearance on the back of their return to training last week.
© IconSport
What has Maresca said?
Speaking at a press conference, Maresca admitted that he was relieved to welcome back the three attackers, indicating that he feels that they can be difference-makers in the run-in.
The Italian told reporters: “Cole is back, he’s okay. He’s better. Noni is better. Nico is better. They are all good.”
He added: “Very good. We said many times that, in the end, it is a game for players and when they are no there for different reason, you struggle.
“It is exactly what happened with us this season where we five or six unbelievable months, then six or seven injuries in a row and we lost something. Now, it is good to finish with all of them.”
© Imago
Mixed news on James, Lavia
Reece James and Romeo Lavia have been plagued by injury issues over the past 18 months and more, with the game time of both players being managed.
Although James represented England during the international break, Maresca has insisted that does not mean that the academy graduate will now be used every game.
Maresca said: “We still need to manage Reece. The reason why is because you know his history probably better than me. You need to be careful with him in this moment.
“We want him fit until the end so we will manage him until the end and then we will see in the future.”
On Lavia, Maresca confirmed that the Belgian midfielder had suffered “a small problem” and would now be assessed, hinting that he will not be considered for the Spurs contest.
No Data Analysis info
