Is Cole Palmer fit to face Arsenal tonight? Mauricio Pochettino urges Chelsea to show they are more than England star

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has challenged his players to prove they are more than a ‘Cole Palmer Football Club’ against Arsenal this evening.

The 21-year-old is not in the squad for the trip to the Emirates, live and exclusively on talkSPORT, after missing training due to illness.

Palmer has only missed one Premier League game for Chelsea this season following his £40 million move from Manchester City.

The England international missed the club’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace due to an accumulation of yellow cards in December.

The 20-goal striker scored in the 2-2 draw against Arsenal in the reverse fixture in October, but will not get the chance to add to that tally.

Is Palmer fit to face Arsenal?

Palmer will not take part in the London derby, which is a big blow for the Blues.

Asked at his team’s press conference on Monday about top scorer Palmer, Pochettino replied: “Today, no (he can’t play). We’ll see tomorrow morning. Today, I don’t think that he could be involved.

“Even if he is good tomorrow, he may not be fit to play. We hope he can recover from this situation and be involved in the team.”

With Palmer’s absence, Pochettino challenged his players to step up their efforts.

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He told reporters: “We will see. We will see. It’s a good challenge if Palmer isn’t available tomorrow. It’s a good challenge for teammates or those in a similar position.

“If I were them I would be motivated to go out there tomorrow and show that this is Chelsea Football Club, not Cole Palmer Football Club.”

Arsenal vs Chelsea: talkSPORT coverage

This Premier League clash will take place on Tuesday April 23.

Kick-off at the Emirates Stadium is scheduled for 8 p.m.

talkSPORT will have EXCLUSIVE live coverage of the match presented by Adrian Durham.

Comments will come from Sam Matterface and former England defender Danny Mills.