Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior has confirmed he will leave it until the last possible moment to decide whether captain Reece James and forward Cole Palmer are fit to face Arsenal in a crucial cup tie.
Key Trio to Undergo Late Assessments
The pair, along with defender Malo Gusto, were all absent as precautionary measures for Rosenior's first match in charge—a 5-1 FA Cup third-round victory at Charlton Athletic on Saturday. While the squad emerged from that match with no new injury concerns, the status of the three players remains up in the air for Wednesday night's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at home to Arsenal.
"I'll make a decision on Cole, Reece and Malo tomorrow," Rosenior stated. "I'm giving them some extra time. I've got time to make a decision. I haven't made a decision on the team. We'll make that decision tomorrow or on the morning of Wednesday."
Rosenior Prioritises Player Welfare
Explaining the cautious approach, the Blues boss emphasised his belief in the squad's depth and the importance of not rushing players back. He described the FA Cup fixture as "a good time for them to rest" and stressed there is "no reason to take risks on players' health" if the team can win without them.
"I believe in this group," Rosenior added. "There's no reason to take risks on players' health, if you believe you can win the game and they can come through and get extra training sessions and extra bits of work, and that's the way it's worked out so far."
Caicedo Suspended for First Leg
Chelsea will definitely be without one key midfielder for the clash with their London rivals. Moises Caicedo is suspended after accumulating two yellow cards in the earlier rounds of the competition, adding another layer of complexity to Rosenior's team selection for his first major semi-final in charge.
The late fitness tests for James, Palmer, and Gusto set the stage for a tense build-up to the high-stakes match at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, 14 January 2026.
