Mauricio Pochettino hit with double injury blow ahead of Chelsea’s London derby with Arsenal

A rejuvenated Chelsea will play host to high-flying Arsenal in one of the standout fixtures of this weekend’s Premier League schedule.

The Blues have recorded three consecutive victories in all competitions and are beginning to show signs that they can turn the corner after a miserable run of form over the last 18 months.

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is desperate to return his team back into the European competitions and he has the perfect opportunity to make a statement to the rest of the league against league leaders Arsenal.

The West London outfit have been hit with a series of injuries in recent weeks but both Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson are expected to feature after their recent knocks, while Mykhailo Mudryk is also competing for a starting spot as he maintained his resurgence with an excellent goal for Ukraine on international duty.

However, Chelsea have also been dealt a double set back ahead of their game against Arsenal - with delayed returns for both Reece James and Carney Chukwuemeka, according to SportsMole.

The pair were both initially in contention to make their return to the Chelsea lineup for derby day with Pochettino stating that both had made huge progress with their hamstring injuries.

But it appears that both have now suffered further setbacks which will delay their comeback into the first team.

Reece James, who was recently named club captain by Pochettino, has been one of Chelsea’s stand out players in recent seasons.

The academy graduate was an integral part of the team which lifted the Champions League in 2021 and has proven himself to be an asset going forward with five goals and nine assists in the 2021/22 season.

The last two campaigns have been dominated by injury for the player and so far this season he has managed just one league appearance.

Chukwuemeka is another who has difficulties with injuries at Stamford Bridge. In his first season at the club he was limited to just 14 league appearances. He made a promising start to this season with one goal from his opening two games but has been sidelined with a knee injury since August.