Palmer, Lavia - Chelsea injury news and return dates before Arsenal clash

Chelsea overcame Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening in the UEFA Champions League, despite Enzo Maresca having numerous injuries to navigate within his squad.

Chelsea secured a second convincing win following November's international break on Tuesday; this time against Barcelona. Enzo Maresca's squad demonstrated their strength in a 2-0 triumph over Burnley at the weekend, with goals coming from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez.

The Blues' ruthless form was evident, once again, this week as they coasted to a 3-0 Champions League triumph vs Barcelona at Stamford Bridge. Joules Kounde inadvertently scored an own goal, midway through the first-half, before Ronald Araujo's dismissal gave the hosts a significant advantage.

The captain received his first yellow card for, seemingly, shouting at on-field referee Slavko Vincic, before being shown a second yellow and sent-off 44 minutes into the game after a collision with Marc Cucurella. Estevao doubled Chelsea's lead 10 minutes into the second half, and Liam Delap sealed the game with just over 15 minutes remaining, securing a convincing win for the home side.

Despite the team's strong performance, several key players were absent from Maresca's matchday squad. Mirror Football breaks down all of the current Chelsea players who are waiting in the wings - as well as potential return dates - with a Premier League clash against Arsenal on the horizon;

Cole Palmer

It's been a lengthy recovery journey for Cole Palmer, who hasn't featured in Chelsea's squad since the club's 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in September. While Palmer was originally side-lined with a groin injury, it emerged last week that he had fractured his toe 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 that will be soon.

"He's already on the pitch and so he's 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's doing well."

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

Romeo Lavia

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

Potential return date: December.

Dario Essugo

Dario Essugo picked up a thigh injury while representing the Portugal U21 squad on international duty, and underwent surgery as a result. He continues to recover from the problem, though a return date hasn't been confirmed for the young talent.

Potential return date: Unknown.

Levi Colwill

Chelsea's Levi Colwill has been side-lined since pre-season due to an ACL injury. According to reports, the centre-back is expected to miss the majority of the season, but there's a glimmer of hope he could make a return in May.

Potential return date: May.