Chelseavs.Spurs

The 22-year-old was a notable absentee for Chelsea's narrow 1-0 defeat against London rivals Arsenal earlier this month.

Palmer's absence represented a significant blow for Chelsea given the fact he had started every Premier League game this season before he was ruled out of the Arsenal clash.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca confirmed after the defeat that Palmer has sustained a muscle injury in training, although he was hopeful he would return to action following the international break.

Palmer subsequently withdrew from the England squad for Thomas Tuchel's first two games against Albania and Latvia.

Palmer yet to return to training

The hope was that the international window would give Palmer the chance to rest and recover before Chelsea return to action against Tottenham Hotspur on April 3.

However, there still seems to be considerable doubt as to whether Chelsea's star man will be ready for next Thursday's London derby at Stamford Bridge.

According to football.london, Palmer has not featured in Chelsea training since he picked up the injury prior to the defeat against Arsenal.

The Chelsea attacker has just under a week to return to training and prove his fitness for the meeting with Ange Postecoglou's side.

Palmer's importance to Chelsea

Palmer experienced a dip in form before his injury, going seven consecutive Premier League matches without a goal or assist.

Nevertheless, he still remains Chelsea's standout attacker, having racked up 14 goals and six assists in 28 Premier League appearances this term.

To put Palmer's impressive numbers into context, only Chris Wood, Alexander Isak, Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have registered more goal contributions in the Premier League this season.

Palmer has also enjoyed success in his three previous meetings with Spurs, scoring two goals and providing one assist across those encounters.

In fact, the 22-year-old netted a brace to help the Blues claim a 4-3 away victory over Tottenham in December's reverse fixture.

Written by

Ben Sully