Palmer, James, Gusto - Chelsea injury news and return dates before Arsenal Carabao Cup semi-final

Latest on Chelsea injuries as Liam Rosenior waits on Cole Palmer, Reece James and Malo Gusto ahead of Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal

Liam Rosenior has been Chelsea head coach for mere days and already he is sweating over several major injuries heading into a Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues' bitter London rivals and a two-legged clash are all that stand in the way of the club reaching another major final, where they will have the opportunity to win yet another piece of silverware.

Their first leg is scheduled for Wednesday - one day after Newcastle United host Manchester City in the Carabao Cup's other semi-final.

Rosenior will be pleased about having the extra 24 hours to prepare the squad he has inherited, especially after leaving the star trio of Cole Palmer, Reece James, and Malo Gusto out of his first fixture as Chelsea boss.

The 41-year-old presided over a 5-1 FA Cup third round victory over League One outfit Charlton Athletic at The Valley, after which he explained he did not wish to risk the three players, who had each picked up knocks, with such important fixtures approaching.

"Malo, Cole and Reece were precautionary [absentees] today. I don't want to take any risks at this stage of the season. They had minor tweaks or knocks from the Fulham game.

"I feel like I have got such a good squad here. I don't need to risk their health at the moment.

"We have a huge game on Wednesday, we have a huge game on Saturday, and I'll check the medical reports tonight and tomorrow morning and see how we are then."

Thus, Chelsea will come to a decision over Palmer, James, and Gusto ahead of the Arsenal clash on Wednesday, January 14.

Rosenior is safe in the knowledge that he will be able to call upon left-back Marc Cucurella for that match, as he served his one-game suspension against Charlton for a direct red card in last week's defeat at Fulham.

Chelsea are still yet to give any indication of Romeo Lavia or Dario Essugo returning to action. Both have battled with thigh injuries - the former since November and the latter before the 2025/26 Premier League campaign began.

Lastly, central defender Levi Colwill continues to be unavailable as he continues his recovery from a pre-season ACL injury, which ruled him out for the entirety of 2025/26.