Both Chelsea and Arsenal could be without key players on Sunday due to doubts over the fitness of Cole Palmer and Declan Rice.

How did Palmer get hurt and what did Maresca say?

Palmer suffered an injury during the 1-1 draw against Manchester United last Sunday after a challenge from Lisandro Martinez.

“Cole is getting better, but the fact that he can walk and eat doesn’t mean he is completely fit,” Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca said at his pre-match press conference.

“He’s getting better and we still have two days to prepare for the game. Hopefully we can have him – at least on Saturday – for a session and then we’ll make a decision.”

How did Rice get injured and what did Arteta say?

Rice, meanwhile, injured his foot in Arsenal’s defeat to Newcastle United last Saturday and therefore missed Wednesday’s defeat to Internazionale in the UEFA Champions League.

“I have to be very vague about that because there is no clarity as to whether he will be fit this weekend,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said at his press conference.

Asked if Rice has a broken toe, Arteta added: “That’s for the doctor. What I can say is that he hasn’t trained yet and it’s not clear whether he will be available to play or not.”

Palmer’s impact at Chelsea

The 22-year-old has been one of the stars of the Premier League since joining Chelsea from Manchester City last summer.

No Chelsea player has scored more goals, scored more goals, had more shots or created more chances in the Premier League since the start of 2023/24 than Palmer.

Of ALL Premier League players, only Erling Haaland can beat his 29 goals in that time.

Palmer’s stats since joining Chelsea

Rice’s impact at Arsenal

Without Rice, Sunday would be a huge blow for Arsenal.

Since joining from West Ham United last summer, few Arsenal players have outperformed him in a number of metrics.

The 25-year-old leads the way in terms of tackles, interceptions, distance covered and progressive carries.

And since the start of 2023/24, only one midfielder has scored more than him in the Premier League.

Rice’s stats since joining Arsenal