Brazilian winger Willian is the only major injury concern for Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho ahead of his side’s home clash against bitter rivals Arsenal in the eagerly awaited Premier League clash on Saturday.
The 27-year-old is suffering a hamstring injury, and the Portuguese manager has confirmed the player isn’t completely fit to feature against the Gunners. However, Oscar and Radamel Falcao have both recovered from knee injuries. Pedro is also pushing for a start after recovering from the thigh injury.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is ruled out for at least 10-12 weeks following a knee surgery. Defender Papy Djilobodji could feature after being left out of the Champions League squad.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has no fresh injury concerns for Chelsea’s visit on the weekend.
Centre-back Per Mertesacker is likely to make a comeback to the starting squad. However, Danny Welbeck and Jack Wilshere are long-term absentees. Walcott could replace Giroud in the Attack, while Gabriel is likely to remain in defence along with Laurent Koscielny.
Probable Starting Lineups
Chelsea: Begovic; Cahill, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Fabregas, Terry; Matic; Oscar, Ramires, Hazard; Costa
Arsenal: Cech; Bellerin, Monreal, Gabriel, Koscielny; Coquelin, Ozil, Cazorla, Ramsey, Sanchez; Walcott
