Chelsea vs. Tottenham lineups, predicted starting 11, confirmed team news, injuries: Palmer, Jackson, Madueke could return

As they look to maintain their position in a crowded top-five battle, Chelsea are set to get a trio of key attacking players back from injury as they host Tottenham in Premier League action on Thursday.

The Blues suffered a scare as superstar playmaker Cole Palmer missed the Arsenal match earlier this month before pulling out of international duty with England, but he’s expected to be available once again after recovering.

He joins a pair of other attackers in a bid to return, with all three players sorely missed up front. Enzo Maresca’s side was smothered in their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal prior to the international break and have been generally toothless over the past month.

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They now get a huge boost at just the right time as they take on a defensively porous Spurs who started the week sitting 14th in the Premier League table and have conceded 43 goals in 29 matches this season.

The Sporting News runs through the latest team news and injury updates for both sides.

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Chelsea vs. Tottenham lineups, predicted starting 11, team news

After missing the Arsenal match and withdrawing from England duty, the availability of Cole Palmer following the international break has been the subject of questions over the last week, but it appears that he will be fit to take the field.

There is more good news as well, as Nico Jackson and Noni Madueke are back in training and targeting this match for their long-awaited returns. The absence of Jackson since early February has been hard to swallow, as Christopher Nkunku has been poor in his stead, while the likes of Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho have been a similar drop-off out wide from the influential Madueke’s standards.

Normally Jackson and Madueke would need to gain fitness off the bench before being ready to start, but on the back end of an international break, it’s possible they could both slot straight back into the XI. The Blues are still without Marc Guiu, who should return in the near future from a hamstring injury, but are otherwise fully fit for the stretch run of the season.

Chelsea predicted lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Sanchez (GK) — James, Colwill, Badiashile, Cucurella — Fernandez, Caicedo — Sancho, Palmer, Madueke — Jackson

Injured: Guiu (hamstring), Kellyman (hamstring), Palmer (muscle, doubt), Jackson (thigh, doubt), Madueke (hamstring, doubt)
Suspended: Mudryk (provisional doping ban)

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While the sheer number of individuals on Tottenham’s absentee list has shrunk considerably over the last month, the effect this injury-stricken season has had on the squad remains evident. Ange Postecoglou has a host of exhausted players on his hands, evident in the club’s 2-0 defeat to Fulham prior to the international break where he was forced to rest players like Son Heung-min and James Maddison from the start.

It’s unclear when Dejan Kulusevski will return, as he has been dealing with a foot injury for much of the season that finally left him sidelined prior to the international window. It’s also not clear how fit Richarlison is, after he pulled out of Brazil duty with a calf injury.

Still missing are Radu Dragusin, who is out for the season, and Kevin Danso who is expected to return in the next few weeks from his hamstring injury.

Tottenham predicted lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Vicario (GK) — Spence, Romero, Davies, Udogie — Bissouma, Maddison, Bentancur — Son, Solanke, Tel

Injured: Dragusin (ACL), Danso (hamstring), Richarlison (calf, doubt), Kulusevski (foot, doubt)
Suspended: None

Chelsea vs. Tottenham live stream, TV channel

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