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Chelsea's bid to snap a four-match Premier League losing run when they travel to Brighton & Hove Albion has become significantly more difficult, with Cole Palmer failing to even make the matchday squad.
Palmer played the full 90 minutes in Chelsea's weekend loss to Manchester United. Despite being subdued in recent matches, he remains vital to addressing Chelsea's attacking struggles, making his absence from even the bench for Tuesday's fixture against the Seagulls a considerable shock.
Liam Rosenior confirmed Palmer's omission is due to "some tightness in his hamstring." The England international has battled injuries throughout the season, though he had recently appeared to find his rhythm, starting 10 consecutive matches for the Blues.
With João Pedro still sidelined by a thigh problem, Chelsea will take to the pitch at the Amex Stadium without their two most potent attacking threats.
Desperately requiring a victory to stay on track in the Champions League qualification race, it will demand an extraordinary effort from the Blues to overcome this adversity.
Chelsea Confirmed XI vs. Brighton
Starting XI (3-4-1-2): Robert Sánchez; Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Jorrel Hato; Malo Gusto, Moisés Caicedo, Roméo Lavia, Marc Cucurella; Enzo Fernández; Pedro Neto, Liam Delap.
Substitutes: Teddy Sharman-Lowe (GK), Josh Acheampong, Tosin Adarabioyo, Mamadou Sarr, Andrey Santos, Dário Essugo, Jesse Drry, Alejandro Garnacho, Marc Guiu.
Rosenior has chosen to start Roméo Lavia alongside Moisés Caicedo at the base of midfield, freeing Enzo Fernández to push forward into the No. 10 position as a replacement for the absent Palmer. Having just served an internal suspension, the Argentine was among the few positives to emerge from last weekend's defeat.
Trevoh Chalobah also earns a place in the starting lineup, marking his first appearance since picking up an injury against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16 second leg. Rosenior has switched formations, appearing to deploy a 3-4-1-2 to shore up defensively in light of the attacking absentees.
Liam Delap and Pedro Neto will serve as Chelsea's primary attacking outlets, with the duo looking to break out of their dismal Premier League goalscoring slumps.
When Will Cole Palmer Return for Chelsea?
Palmer's absence from the Brighton fixture is a significant setback, and there is also uncertainty surrounding his fitness for Chelsea's FA Cup semifinal against Leeds United on Sunday.
"He's out for this game, and we'll see how he progresses ahead of the FA Cup semifinal," Rosenior told reporters before kick-off against Brighton.
The struggling Blues can scarcely afford to be without Palmer when they face Leeds, as their hopes of reaching the final and potentially securing silverware heading into the summer could be seriously undermined. Should Pedro also fail to recover in time, the prospects of success at Wembley on Sunday become even more uncertain.
If Palmer is unable to recover in time for Sunday's semifinal, his earliest possible return would come in Chelsea's home Premier League clash against relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest on May 4.