Up to eight players could still be ruled out of this afternoon's London derby. Chelsea will be desperate to slash Arsenal's advantage at the top of the Premier League table when they meet at Stamford Bridge.

After Manchester City's victory against Leeds United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, the Gunners enter the eagerly awaited encounter with a four-point buffer. The Blues have the opportunity to move back into second place and narrow Arsenal's lead to just three points with a win on Sunday.

The west London outfit may be enjoying excellent form, winning five of their last six games across all competitions, but they've been unable to overcome Mikel Arteta's side in any of their last seven encounters. The Gunners aren't struggling with form themselves; they have been unbeaten since late August.

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Enzo Maresca will be keen to transform Chelsea's fortunes this afternoon, and fortunately enough, Cole Palmer could return to the matchday squad. Shortly after recovering from his groin problem, the 23-year-old midfielder fractured his toe.

He hasn't appeared for the Blues since aggravating his muscle problem at the end of September. Speaking to journalists at Cobham on Friday, the Chelsea boss provided an encouraging update.

When asked whether the England international is fit to start and play against Arsenal, Maresca said: "He's available for both. His team-mates are happy, we are happy, and the most important thing is that Cole is happy."

Estevao Willian seemed to have taken a knock during Chelsea's victory over Barcelona on Tuesday night. Despite this, the 18-year-old winger appeared fine when he left the pitch and has been training as usual in preparation for the Arsenal match.

Both Palmer and Estevao are likely to be included in the matchday squad; however, Romeo Lavia will be forced to watch from the sidelines. The 21-year-old midfielder had to be substituted early on in Chelsea's draw against Qarabag earlier this month due to a muscle injury.

Dario Essugo, who suffered a thigh injury which required surgery while on international duty with Portugal's Under-21s in September, has recently returned to training. However, the 20-year-old midfielder is not expected to be back in action until January.

Chelsea will also be without Levi Colwill. The 22-year-old defender ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament shortly after reporting for pre-season training and underwent surgery in early August. He is currently undergoing a rehabilitation programme.

As for Arsenal, they could see the return of several key players to their matchday squad. Leandro Trossard was forced to leave the pitch during the first half of the Gunners' clash against Bayern Munich.

Arteta confirmed at the Sobha Realty Training Centre on Friday that the 30-year-old winger, who felt something in his calf, was scheduled for a late fitness test.

Gabriel Magalhaes has been sidelined with an adductor injury he picked up during the international break. The Arsenal gaffer confirmed that the 27-year-old defender is set for another scan on Wednesday to determine the extent of the problem.

Gabriel Jesus, who suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in January, recently took part in a behind-closed-doors friendly as he continues his recovery. Despite Arteta describing the 28-year-old striker's progress as 'very positive', the Chelsea match might be too soon for him.

However, there's good news for the Gunners as they could see the return of two other forwards to the squad: Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres. Havertz hasn't seen action since the first weekend of the season after undergoing a minor knee operation.

As for Gyokeres, he didn't participate in training ahead of Arsenal's victory over Bayern Munich on Wednesday night. However, Arteta hinted that neither player is far off from making a comeback.

When quizzed about Gyokeres and Havertz on Friday, Arteta said: "We have another day tomorrow, so let's see how everybody has come on. They are getting closer and closer. So, we are very positive with both of them - and let's see."

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