Chelsea XI vs West Ham: Starting lineup, confirmed team news, injury latest for Premier League today

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Evening Standard

·31 January 2026

Chelsea XI vs West Ham: Starting lineup, confirmed team news, injury latest for Premier League today

Cole Palmer starts as Liam Rosenior’s Blues face another London derby test

Cole Palmer is handed a start for Chelsea against West Ham this evening.

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The Englishman was named as a substitute in Naples in midweek but came off the bench to assist both of Joao Pedro’s goals as Chelsea tallied an important 3-2 win which saw them progress straight into the Champions League last 16.

Palmer has endured an injury-plagued season so far and was on the bench against Napoli because he had only just recovered from a minor thigh strain which saw him miss matches against Pafos and Crystal Palace.

But he came through the Napoli win “absolutely fine”, according to head coach Liam Rosenior, and is selected to start Saturday’s game at Stamford Bridge.

The London derby will come too early for Tosin Adarabioyo, who was back at Cobham on Friday doing light ball work and running.

Trevoh Chalobah was named as a substitute against Napoli but comes back into the starting lineup against the team he scored against in a 5-1 rout at the London Stadium back in August.

After starting two games in a row, Estevao Willian gets a rest against the Hammers, despite being a clear Rosenior favourite.

But one of captain Reece James is rested following long shifts against Napoli and with Arsenal to come in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals on Tuesday.

Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo remain out, though Rosenior has said that Levi Colwill may yet play again this season after resuming running following an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in the summer. Mykhailo Mudryk is still unavailable.