Six players to miss Chelsea vs West Ham as Cole Palmer update delivered

Chelsea take on West Ham United on Saturday evening looking to move into the top four and heap pressure on rivals Manchester United and Liverpool

Chelsea will be without five players for the visit of West Ham United as Liam Rosenior’s side look to bolster their Champions League qualification hopes.

The Blues can leapfrog Manchester United into the top four with a win over the Hammers (5.30pm kick-off) ahead of United hosting Fulham on Sunday. Michael Carrick’s side kicked Liverpool out of the Champions League places with their 3-2 win over Arsenal, while Chelsea won 3-1 at London rivals Crystal Palace last weekend.

Chelsea are in good form under Rosenior, losing once since the former Hull City and Strasbourg head coach replaced Enzo Maresca – winning five. Their most recent triumph was arguably the most important, as they overcame Napoli in the Champions League to automatically qualify for the Round of 16.

There is a boost to selection options as Cole Palmer is in contention for a place in the starting 11. The Chelsea star has been linked with increasing speculation over a move away from Stamford Bridge but has also endured his own injury issues.

However, Rosenior confirmed that the England international came through the win in Europe unscathed. He said: “Cole is fine. He came through the other night with two assists and an outstanding performance [vs Napoli]. He is available to start tomorrow [against West Ham] and of course, we are really happy about that.”

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Levi Colwill, however, will remain sidelined as he steps up his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury. The 22-year-old hasn’t featured all season, with his last Blues appearance coming during the Club World Cup final win over Paris Saint-Germain.

Rosenior hopes to see him back before the end of the season but admits that there is no pressure on the Englishman. He said: “Yes he could [be back before the end of the season], but it’s step by step and I don’t want to make promises that I can’t keep. At the moment, Levi’s in a really good place. He’s on the right track, but I don’t want to put pressure on him.

“I spoke to Levi this morning. He’s working so hard, and what a professional he is. It’s been brilliant to see him back on the pitch running. He’s itching to get back, but we need to make sure he feels 100 per cent perfect.

“He’s another outstanding player I can’t wait to work with, and he’s in a really good place. I don’t like putting timeframes on injuries because it puts unnecessary pressure on players when their health is the most important thing.”

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Romeo Lavia, Tosin Adarabioyo, Dario Luis Essugo and Mykhailo Mudryk are the other absentees. The Chelsea boss said: “Romeo is in a really good place, and we just have to make sure this last stage of his rehab is really, really good.

“Tosin was back out on the pitch today doing his individual rehab.”

There are no real injury concerns for the Hammers, as only Luskaz Fabianski is out. New signing Adama Traore could be in line for his first appearance in the squad after signing from Wolves.

Nuno Espirito Santo said: “There are always things to assess. That’s normal, and we’ll see how we are on Saturday.

“We haven’t decided [if Adama Traoré will play] yet. We still have tomorrow to decide the squad and the team. Adama is physically OK, and he can become an option.”