“He’s not in the toilet, for sure! He had, as we know, last week some problems [with illness]. And unfortunately yesterday he had a very small problem.

“He had an injury yesterday during the session. It was a very light session. That’s why we think it is nothing important. But we wait and the feeling is he will be back after the next international break.”

Palmer is now a major doubt for Thomas Tuchel’s first two England games during the upcoming international break.

Chelsea are currently fourth in the Premier League and six points behind their hosts, but would move to just three points behind with victory at the Emirates today.

But it’s a tall order – at least according to the stats.

The Blues have won just three of their previous 19 away matches in the league against sides above them in the table at the time, and haven’t won in their past six league games on the road full stop.

Gabriel Martinelli makes his first start since February 5 for the hosts, replacing Ethan Nwaneri, while Raheem Sterling is ineligible to face his parent club so doesn’t make the squad and Mikel Arteta persists with Mikel Merino as a striker. The big news for Chelsea is the absence of out-of-form Cole Palmer, who misses out entirely, as Enzo Maresca makes six changes from the side that beat Copenhagen in the Conference League midweek.

Speak and ye shall receive… confirmed line-ups are out.

Arsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Partey, Odegaard; Martinelli, Merino, Trossard.

Bench: Neto, Tierney, White, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Calafiori, Butler-Oyedeji, Nwaneri.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Fofana, Badiashile, Colwill, Cucurella; James, Caicedo; Neto, Fernandez, Sancho; Nkunku

Bench: Jorgensen, Bettinelli, Tosin, Chalobah, Gusto, Acheampong, Lavia, Dewsbury-Hall, George

We’re expecting confirmed line-ups in the next 15 mins for this London derby.

In the meantime, here are our predicted line-ups:

Arsenal: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Nwaneri, Merino, Martinelli.

Chelsea: Sanchez; Fofana, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Lavia, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernandez, Nkunku; Neto.

The match will kick off at 1.30pm GMT at the Emirates Stadium today, Sunday 16 March.

Arsenal v Chelsea will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League TV channels. Subscribers can watch the match online via the Sky Sports and Sky Go website and apps.

A three-match winless run has left second-placed Arsenal 15 points behind Liverpool as the title race slips away from them and the north London side are now looking over their shoulder with Nottingham Forest and Sunday’s opponents Chelsea catching up.

Chelsea are fourth, six points behind Arsenal ahead of the London derby at Emirates Stadium, where the west London side lost 5-0 last season, but Arteta said this time they play a much changed squad under Enzo Maresca.

The two sides played out a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge earlier this season.

“It’s two teams that want to be very dominant in their way of playing, very aggressive in the high press and the way we have to have the ball,” Arteta said.

“There is a lot of individual quality on that pitch, so it’s about imposing what you want in the direction you want to take the game and keep them very far from their strengths, that’s going to be key.”

Arsenal are very excited to play reigning champions Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals next month but they will not be distracted from their Premier League duties as they shift their focus to Chelsea, manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday.

Arsenal thrashed PSV Eindhoven 9-3 on aggregate to earn a quarter-final spot against 15-times winners Real Madrid, a team they have played only once before in the competition, knocking the Spanish side out over two legs in the last 16 en route to the 2006 final.

“Fascinating draw, we play the club with the biggest history in the competition,” Arteta told reporters. “Very excited to play against them, but before that we have some big matches in the Premier League.”

Some transfer news, in case you missed it this week: Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Sporting Lisbon winger Geovany Quenda.

The 17-year-old, who was reportedly a target for Manchester United, will remain in Portugal throughout the rest of this season and next before moving to London in 2026.

He has made 52 senior appearances for Sporting and made his Champions League debut in September.

Able to play on the right wing and at wing-back, he joins a list of teenagers set to join up with the club in the coming years with deals also having been struck for 17-year-old Brazilian Estevao Willian and 17-year-old Ecuadorian Kendry Paez, with both set to move in July.