Enzo Maresca on fitness of Reece James & Cole Palmer

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has said that Reece James and Cole Palmer will need to be assessed ahead of the Premier League clash against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge tomorrow.

The Blues suffered a disappointing 2-1 loss to Aston Villa last weekend and they are now fifth in the table, three points behind fourth-placed Liverpool.

The west London giants will be aiming to return to winning ways tomorrow, and ahead of the game, Maresca refused to guarantee that James and Palmer will make the starting line-up.

The Italian tactician said that the duo will need to be assessed before a final decision is made, he said: "We will need to see how they are. Then we will need to decide [if they face Bournemouth]."

Chelsea have had a poor month of December and have picked up five points from the last five matches. Bournemouth are in a poor run of form, but the Blues have failed to beat them in the last two meetings.