Palmer, Colwill, Lavia - Chelsea injury news and return dates ahead of Arsenal clash

Chelsea managed to run out 3-0 winners over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League on Tuesday evening, but Enzo Maresca still has a number of injured players out of action

Chelsea made it two wins from two matches following the November international break when they faced Barcelona on home turf in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

Enzo Maresca's side looked a force to be reckoned with during their 2-0 win over Burnley at the weekend, with Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez finding the scoresheet. And Chelsea's ruthlessness was on full display once more this week, as they cruised to a 3-0 victory over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge.

Joules Kounde put the ball into the back of his own net midway through the first-half, before Ronald Araujo gave the hosts a major advantage as he was shown a red card before the break. The skipper's first yellow came after he was spotted seemingly yelling at referee, Slavko Vincic, before he was booked for a second time and handed an early exit 44 minutes into the fixture after clattering Marc Cucurella.

Estevao then doubled Chelsea's lead ten minutes into the second-half, before Liam Delap put the game out of reach with a little over 15 minutes to play to seal out a convincing win for the hosts. And while Chelsea looked to be in full force during the fixture, a number of key players were missing from Maresca's squad on the evening.

Here, Football.London breaks down all of the current Chelsea players who are side-lined with injury, and their potential return dates...

Cole Palmer

It's been a long road to recovery for Cole Palmer, who has been absent from Chelsea's squad since the club's 2-1 loss to Manchester United back in September. While Palmer was initially out with a groin injury, it was revealed that he had suffered a fractured toe last week in an accident at home.

Speaking ahead of Chelsea's clash with Barcelona, Maresca told the press: "Yes, Cole is wearing a boot. We don’t know when [he will be back to full fitness], but it will be soon.

"He is already on the pitch and already touching the ball. The feeling is good. At the moment, we are only looking at tomorrow’s game. It’s a Champions League game against Barcelona, that is our focus and then we will look ahead to Arsenal. I don’t think he will be available for these two games, but he is doing well."

Potential return date: Leeds United (A) - December 3.

Romeo Lavia

Romeo Lavia suffered a quad injury just minutes into Chelsea's Champions League match against Qarabag on November 5, and has been ruled out for at least a month.

Potential return date: December.

Dario Essugo

Dario Essugo sustained a thigh injury while on international duty with the Portugal U21 squad, and underwent surgery as a result. He continues to recover from the issue, although a return date has not been given for the young talent.

Potential return date: Unknown.

Levi Colwill

Levi Colwill suffered an ACL injury in pre-season, and has not featured for Chelsea since the Club World Cup as a result. As per reports, the centre-half will miss most of the season, but could return to the field of play in May.

Potential return date: May.