Arsenal vs Chelsea: How Blues Could Be Forced to Line up Without Cole Palmer

• Chelsea visit Arsenal at the Emirates on April 23 in an important Premier League clash
• The Blues could be without their top scorer, Cole Palmer, who is struggling with illness
• This could force Mauricio Pochettino to tweak his attack to try and surpass the Gunners

A new problem has presented itself at Chelsea ahead of their Premier League clash against Arsenal.

The Blues’ top scorer, Cole Palmer, is a serious doubt for the clash, with Mauricio Pochettino confirming the 21-year-old is struggling to recover from illness.

According to the Chelsea boss, Palmer faces a late fitness test, but chances of the forward playing on Tuesday are extremely low.

"We will see by [Tuesday] morning. Today, I don't believe he can be involved," Pochettino admitted, per the BBC.

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"Even if he is good, maybe he is not in a condition to play. We hope he can recover from this situation and be involved with the team."

Chelsea facing other injury worries

Palmer is not Pochettino’s only worry ahead of the game against Arsenal.

Pochettino confirmed Malo Gusto and Ben Chilwell are struggling with different issues, with the former having a minor problem with his knee ligaments.

Chilwell, meanwhile, is struggling with an issue he picked up during the most recent international break.

2 ways Chelsea could line up without Palmer

Without a doubt, Palmer will be a huge miss for Chelsea if the club’s medical staff deem him unfit on Tuesday morning.

His absence could force Pochettino to utilise little-known names on his bench, including Italian midfielder, Cesare Casadei.

Nicolas Jackson, despite his struggles in front of goal, is set to remain on the team because he has a way of involving his players in the game.

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Chelsea still has a host of attacking players to choose from, including Conor Gallagher, Noni Madueke, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Mykhailo Mudryk.

In midfield, the partnership involving Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez is almost inevitable tomorrow.

As far as defence is concerned, a three-at the back setup is likely to work for Pochettino, especially with the defensive partnership of Thiago Silva and Trevor Chalobah that has been working well in recent games.

How Chelsea could line up against Arsenal

Petrovic; Acheampong, Chalobah, Silva, Fernandez; Caicedo, Gallagher; Madueke, Chukwuemeka, Mudryk; Jackson.

Alternatively, Pochettino could opt to start Acheampong on the bench, and instead go for Alfie Gilchrist at right-back. This is an area Arsenal is likely to exploit, and it will be imperative for the Chelsea boss to get it right.

Here is an alternative lineup, with Raheem Sterling integrated into the starting XI:

Petrovic; Gilchrist, Thiago Silva, Chalobah, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Madueke, Gallagher, Sterling; Jackson.

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Top scorers without penalties

Sports Brief also reported on the Premier League's top scorers without penalties this season.

Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins tops the list with an impressive 19 goals, all scored from open play.

Dominik Solanke and Erling Haaland round up the top three with 18 and 16 goals respectively.