Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen will return after a virus.
Emmanuel Frimpong could be involved after making his comeback from a knee injury in midweek, but the game may come too soon for Jack Wilshire.
Chelsea captain John Terry is expected to play as he has the right to appeal the four-game FA ban imposed on him after being found guilty of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand.
Eden Hazard and Oscar should both return after bit-part League Cup roles.
MATCH PREVIEW
Ever since I commentated on my first Arsenal v Chelsea derby, when John Bumstead scored the only goal in an away win at Highbury in March 1990, I've been intrigued by this fixture. It's thrown up more drama than the Eastenders Christmas specials.
There were the Ian Wright years. He hit nine goals against the Blues. Arsenal seemed to dominate the league clashes but Chelsea had their cup triumphs, with Robbie Di Matteo among the scorers in the 1997-98 League Cup semi-final victory.
There was the thrilling late Nigel Winterburn winner for Arsenal at the Bridge, Kanu's wonderful hat-trick there and Ray Parlour scoring in the 2002 FA Cup final win.
Then came Chelsea's 2005 Community Shield success that heralded the Drogba years. He terrorised Arsenal again and again, scoring 13 goals against them and almost single-handed crushing them in the 2007 League Cup final.
The pair have fought tooth and nail to become London's top dog over the last 15 years. Arsenal will point to their 27 major trophies and their Premier League titles at the turn of the Millennium. Chelsea will crow about the 11 trophies won this decade alone, including the 'cup with the big ears' in May.
Arsenal are getting more fluent after a sterile start, disrupted by the van Persie departure. They've picked up four points from six at Liverpool and Manchester City.
Chelsea are league leaders and unbeaten in six league outings. But they were held at QPR, threw away a two-goal lead at home to Juve and narrowly edged past Stoke late on.
Both clubs hit
Emmanuel Frimpong could be involved after making his comeback from a knee injury in midweek, but the game may come too soon for Jack Wilshire.
Chelsea captain John Terry is expected to play as he has the right to appeal the four-game FA ban imposed on him after being found guilty of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand.
Eden Hazard and Oscar should both return after bit-part League Cup roles.
MATCH PREVIEW
Ever since I commentated on my first Arsenal v Chelsea derby, when John Bumstead scored the only goal in an away win at Highbury in March 1990, I've been intrigued by this fixture. It's thrown up more drama than the Eastenders Christmas specials.
There were the Ian Wright years. He hit nine goals against the Blues. Arsenal seemed to dominate the league clashes but Chelsea had their cup triumphs, with Robbie Di Matteo among the scorers in the 1997-98 League Cup semi-final victory.
There was the thrilling late Nigel Winterburn winner for Arsenal at the Bridge, Kanu's wonderful hat-trick there and Ray Parlour scoring in the 2002 FA Cup final win.
Then came Chelsea's 2005 Community Shield success that heralded the Drogba years. He terrorised Arsenal again and again, scoring 13 goals against them and almost single-handed crushing them in the 2007 League Cup final.
The pair have fought tooth and nail to become London's top dog over the last 15 years. Arsenal will point to their 27 major trophies and their Premier League titles at the turn of the Millennium. Chelsea will crow about the 11 trophies won this decade alone, including the 'cup with the big ears' in May.
Arsenal are getting more fluent after a sterile start, disrupted by the van Persie departure. They've picked up four points from six at Liverpool and Manchester City.
Chelsea are league leaders and unbeaten in six league outings. But they were held at QPR, threw away a two-goal lead at home to Juve and narrowly edged past Stoke late on.
Both clubs hit
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