Rosenior Explains Palmer and James Absences After FA Cup Win

Chelsea cruised into the fourth round of the FA Cup with a convincing 5-1 victory over Charlton Athletic, but Liam Rosenior’s first match in charge came with a notable caveat: the absence of several key first-team stars.

With a Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal looming large on Wednesday night, the new Blues head coach opted to err on the side of caution at The Valley.

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Precautionary Call for Chelsea Star Duo

Rosenior Explains Palmer and James Absences After FA Cup Win

Rosenior confirmed after the match that Cole Palmer and Reece James were rested after both picked up minor knocks in the midweek defeat to Fulham. Malo Gusto was also omitted from the squad, leaving Chelsea without three important players despite the comfortable scoreline.

“Malo, Cole and Reece were precautionary,” Rosenior explained.
“I don’t want to take any risks at this stage of the season. They had minor tweaks or knocks.”

The Blues never looked like missing the trio against League One opposition, as Rosenior oversaw an emphatic debut victory.

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Arsenal Semi-Final Now the Focus

Having made eight changes from the side that lost 2-1 at Fulham under interim boss Calum McFarlane, Rosenior now faces a tense wait to see whether the trio will be fit to face Premier League leaders Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

Despite the uncertainty, the Chelsea boss struck a confident tone about the depth at his disposal.

“I feel like I’ve got such a good squad here that I don’t need to risk their health,” he said.
“I believe in this group. I believe in all of them.”

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Guiu and Wingers Impress

One of the biggest positives from the night was Marc Guiu, who took full advantage of a rare start by finding the net and leading the line with maturity beyond his years.

Rosenior was also pleased with the performances of Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens, both of whom caused constant problems out wide.

“I was delighted with the starting XI, I was delighted with the front three,” Rosenior said.
“Ali kept going in his one-v-ones, Marc Guiu was magnificent and deserved his goal. Jamie looked like he was going at the defenders and created a lot of moments.”

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Optimism Under the New Boss

With Chelsea advancing in the FA Cup and momentum beginning to build, Rosenior believes the performance offered a glimpse of what’s to come.

“A lot of real positives and a good start,” he concluded.

The attention now turns to Arsenal — and whether Chelsea’s rested stars will be ready to return for the biggest test of Rosenior’s short tenure so far.