Chelsea players James, Nkunku, Palmer return to training ahead crucial games

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Three Chelsea players are potentially back from injury and have been spotted in the team’s lastest training sessions.

Chelsea have been boosted with the return of three key players ahead of their Premier League clash against Aston Villa.

League joint-top scorer Cole Palmer, who has missed the Blues’ last two games, has returned to training. Long-term absentees Reece James and Levi Colwill are also nearing a return to full action.

Chelsea were unbeaten in eight straight matches before losing their FA Cup semi-final game against Manchester City last weekend. The club gradually restored hope of sealing a European place for next season during the run.

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However, the losses against City (1-0) and Arsenal (5-0) have dragged them back. This has also called into question Argentine manager Mauricio Pochettino’s coaching abilities.

Two tough tests await the Blues in the games against Villa on Saturday and a mid-week contest against Tottenham. Spurs, who occupy fifth place on the table, are 13 points ahead of Chelsea.

Chelsea players & injury woes

Throughout the season, Chelsea have consistently have injury problems with players in and out of treatment.

However, they look set to have three key players back for their final few games of the campaign. These three players have returned to training and are approaching full recovery, according to reports.

According to Evening Standard, Palmer returned to training on Thursday and is expected to be available for Chelsea’s subsequent games.

Also, club captain Reece James and Christopher Nkunku partook in partial team training at the Cobham training ground. Nkunku has been out of action with a hamstring injury since late February. Meanwhile, James is recovering following his surgery in December.

Pochettino has seven other players on the sidelines. Ben Chilwell and Malo Gusto were added to the injury list after last weekend’s game against Manchester City. Both defenders are struggling with knee problems.

Lesley Ugochukwu may still be available before the end of the season. Romeo Lavia, Wesley Fofana, and Enzo Fernandez are out of the season.

Chelsea expect goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to be back in the next few days. The Spaniard and Levi Colwill have both returned to team training.