Chelsea will be without Marcos Alonso for the next three games after it was confirmed on Thursday that the Spaniard was suspended for his challenge on Shane Long at the weekend.
Alonso escaped punishment from referee Mike Dean at the time of the incident, and so this retrospective action will come as no consolation to Southampton after their 3-2 defeat.
SEE MORE: Man Utd, Chelsea suffer transfer blow: PL target warned against making move
However, it will be a blow for Chelsea as their first-choice left-back will now miss their FA Cup semi-final clash with the Saints on Sunday, as well as Premier League games against Burnley and Swansea City.
In turn, that should now open the door for January signing Emerson Palmieri to get the opportunity to impress, as he has struggled for playing time since joining the club from Roma.
The 23-year-old has already been confirmed as a starter against Burnley by Antonio Conte in his press conference on Wednesday, and as noted in the reaction from fans below, they’re desperate to see Palmieri flourish in Alonso’s absence and be given a chance to earn more playing time.
Starting against Burnley will give him the opportunity to get his legs under him and boost his own confidence, as he’ll hope to make a strong case to start against Southampton at the weekend in order to play a key role in helping Chelsea take another step closer towards winning silverware.
Deploying Davide Zappacosta on the left flank could be another option that Conte considers on Sunday, but Emerson will undoubtedly be hoping to stake his claim and stay in the line-up.