Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has released the latest Chelsea injury news and has raised concerns over the participation of several key players as he prepares for his first Premier League game in charge this weekend.
The 41-year-old was appointed earlier this month following the departure of Enzo Maresca and will be in the dugout for a league game for the first time when the Blues host Brentford at Stamford Bridge.
The former Strasbourg manager has already overseen two matches since arriving at the club. He guided the club to an emphatic 5-1 victory over Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup third round, but that was followed by a 3-2 defeat to Arsenal in the EFL Cup semifinal during midweek.
The Englishman will be hoping for a winning start in the English Premier League, although he faces a tough test against an in-form Brentford side in his first match.
Rosenior provides Latest Chelsea injury News ahead of Brentford visit
Chelsea could be without several key players this weekend, with their availability in doubts over several injury concerns The reigning Club World Cup champions have also been affected by a virus, which has ruled several players out of contention for the upcoming clash.
Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens are two players affected by this virus, with Rosenior confirming that the club have been taking measures to try and contain the virus.
Both players missed the EFL Cup defeat to Arsenal and also remain unavailable for selection this weekend.
“Liam [Delap] is still at home at the moment, as is Jamie Gittens. The club doctors are doing everything they can to contain what looks to be a virus become some members of our staff have gone down as well.
“We had a meeting today with the players about washing their hands, the basics, which is really important and hopefully we can contain it. We have a busy period so we need everyone ready to go and fit and healthy”, Rosenior said in Thursday’s press conference as revealed by quotes from BBC Sport.
In more Chelsea injury news update, the Englishman also confirmed that Belgian international Romeo Lavia will miss the match as he continues his recovery from injury.
The 22-year-old’s career has been hampered by injuries since his move to Chelsea in 2023, which has ruled him out of over 90 matches in that period.
The former Southampton midfielder has made just four league appearances this season and has not played since suffering a quadriceps injury in November.
“Romeo is on the pitch, he is not with the group, but he is out on the pitch. He is someone I would love to work with in the long-term because he’s an outstanding player. It’s important we don’t push him too hard because when he is back, we want him to be back for good. No timeframe”, the Chelsea gaffer added.
However, Rosenior confirmed that both Cole Palmer and Reece James could make their return in Saturday’s West London derby clash.
The former returned to action from a groin problem last December, but has sat out the Blues’ last two matches after the problem resurfaced, while the latter was also sidelined with a minor injury problem.
“Both of them are training today. We just need to assess them after training and make sure they come through all the protocols they need to come through but it would be great to have them back in the squad and at the moment, it looks like they could be.”
Rosenior faces a tough challenge on Saturday against Brentford, who are unbeaten in their last six matches across all competitions. Chelsea have also managed a single victory in their last eight meetings, but a win this time would see them leapfrog their West London rivals on the standings.
