Chelsea handed significant boost as Cole Palmer spotted training ahead of trip to Aston Villa | OneFootball

Chelsea have been handed a boost ahead of their Premier League trip to Aston Villa on Saturday evening.

Star forward Cole Palmer missed the 5-0 drubbing at Arsenal on Monday night through illness in an absence keenly felt by his teammates.

Only hours after manager Mauricio Pochettino urged his team to show they were not solely reliant on the England international, the Blues crumbled to an embarrassing defeat at the Emirates Stadium.

Palmer, however, was spotted in training on Thursday ahead of the game at Villa Park on Saturday night.

The 21-year-old has scored 26 goals while registering a further 11 assists in just 47 appearances for club and country this season.

Teammates Christopher Nkunku and Reece James were also spotted at the club’s Cobham training ground, although their respective return dates are unclear.

Pochettino revealed last week that summer signing Nkunku is nearing a return from a hamstring injury to have ruled him out since the Carabao Cup final defeat in February.

"We will assess him day by day,” said the Blues boss.

“Now in the last few days, he is in some part of the training session.

Nkunku has endured an injury-ravaged first season at Chelsea

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“We will see what his reaction of his body is and how it is going to evolve. We hope to recover him and have him available and back before the end of the season."

James, meanwhile, last week teased his return from injury having undergone hamstring surgery back in December.

The defender posted on Instagram: “I've been gone a while, but I'm doing well, really well. The journey has been long and tough, but nothing I couldn't handle.