Chelsea attacker Cole Palmer is not in the Blues' squad to face Arsenal in Sunday's Premier League London derby at the Emirates.
The former Manchester City midfielder has been off the boil of late, as his failure to score or assist in last weekend's 1-0 win over Leicester City made it seven games without a goal contribution in the Premier League.
Palmer then came off the bench for the second half of Chelsea's 1-0 victory over Copenhagen in the Conference League in midweek, but the England international is nowhere to be seen at the Emirates.
According to journalist Simon Phillips, Palmer is nursing a small hamstring injury and has been left out in order to rest and recover, a hammer blow to Chelsea's chances of victory in the London derby.
Palmer memorably also missed last season's trip to the Emirates, which Arsenal won 5-0, through illness, and in his place, Enzo Fernandez will seemingly start as the number 10 as Reece James partners Moises Caicedo in midfield.
James for Palmer is just one of two changes that Maresca has made to his team from the victory over Leicester, as Benoit Badiashile is also preferred to Tosin Adarabioyo alongside Levi Colwill in defence, where Wesley Fofana starts at right-back again.
Ethan Nwaneri on Arsenal bench as Gabriel Martinelli starts
© Imago
Meanwhile, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has made two changes to the team that drew 1-1 with Manchester United last weekend, and there is a spot in the XI for Gabriel Martinelli.
The Brazilian makes his first start since recovering from a hamstring injury in February and will seemingly begin on the right-hand side, as Ethan Nwaneri has been dropped to the bench.
However, the 17-year-old could still break a Premier League record if he comes on and scores at the Emirates, where Mikel Merino and Leandro Trossard have been retained up front.
As Raheem Sterling cannot face his parent club, Nwaneri is just one of two attacking options on the bench for Arsenal alongside Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, who has never made a Premier League appearance.
The other change to the Arsenal team sees Myles Lewis-Skelly come back in at left-back for Riccardo Calafiori, two days after he was called up to the senior England squad for the first time.
Arsenal start the day two places and six points above Chelsea in the Premier League table, and the Gunners are aiming to stretch their unbeaten Premier League run against the Blues to seven matches.
Arsenal starting lineup: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Martinelli, Merino, Trossard
Subs: Neto, Tierney, White, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Calafiori, Nwaneri, Butler-Oyedeji
Chelsea starting lineup: Sanchez; Fofana, Badiashile, Colwill, Cucurella; James, Caicedo; Sancho, Fernandez, Nkunku; Neto
Subs: Jorgensen, Bettinelli, Adarabioyo, Chalobah, Gusto, Acheampong, Lavia, Dewsbury-Hall, George
Ben Knapton
