Rosenior explains why James & Palmer missed Chelsea's win vs Charlton

Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior has revealed that Reece James and Cole Palmer were rested for the FA Cup third round win at Charlton Athletic as a precautionary measure.

The Blues secured their berth in the FA Cup fourth round after a convincing 5-1 win over The Addicks on the road. Speaking after the game, Rosenior provided some team news.

The newly-appointed manager said that Palmer and James were rested as a precaution after they suffered minor knocks during the 2-1 Premier League loss to Fulham in midweek.

He said: "Malo, Cole and Reece were precautionary today. I don't want to take any risks at this stage of the season. They had minor tweaks or knocks from the Fulham game."

Chelsea entertain Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday night. James and Palmer are widely expected to return to the starting XI for that clash.

Arsenal are likewise expected to field their strongest line-up on the night, having made 10 changes for the 4-1 win over Portsmouth in the FA Cup third round earlier today.