Pochettino: Cole Palmer likely to miss Chelsea's trip to Arsenal due to illness

Cole Palmer is a doubt for Chelsea's visit to Arsenal on Tuesday with Mauricio Pochettino confirming the Premier League's joint-top scorer is likely to miss the game at the Emirates Stadium with illness.

The 21-year-old did not train on Monday following his side's FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester City on Saturday, a loss that left them needing to secure a top-seven finish in the league if they are to end their year-long absence from European competition.

The England international has been the standout player of an indifferent season for Chelsea, with seven goals in the team's last two home games having rocketed him to the top of the scoring charts alongside City striker Erling Haaland.

He has frequently been the decisive factor when the team have performed well, helping Pochettino's side throw off the creative inertia that blunted their attack last season and in the early weeks of the current campaign.

A win against Mikel Arteta's title-chasers would put the Argentinian's side level on points with sixth-placed Newcastle, with a top-six finish likely to be enough for a Europa League berth.

However, the size of their task - already a daunting one with Arsenal on a run of 11 league wins in their last 13 - grew on Monday with the fear that Palmer will likely miss out, while full-backs Ben Chilwell and Malo Gusto are also doubts.

'We need to assess (Tuesday) morning,' said Pochettino of Palmer's chances. 'Today, no, I don't believe he can be involved. Even if he will be good tomorrow, he may not be in a condition to play.

'With and without him, we believe that we can win. The most important thing is the collective. Of course he's an important part of the team. He's doing fantastic for us. But we have plenty of players that