Cole Palmer is set to spend six more weeks on the sidelines, with Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca admitting he was "wrong" about his injury return in November. The 23-year-old, who inspired the Blues to last season's Conference League and Club World Cup triumphs, has seen his campaign derailed by a persistent groin injury that hasn't healed.
Injury woes for Palmer
After firing in 18 goals across all competitions in Chelsea’s trophy-laden campaign, which followed up on a sensational 25-goal debut season, Palmer looked destined to build on his status at Stamford Bridge. But instead of carrying that momentum into this term, the forward has found himself confined to the treatment room. His groin troubles have restricted him to just three Premier League appearances and a single Champions League outing, leaving a glaring void in Chelsea’s attack. The Blues had initially believed Palmer was closing in on full fitness, with whispers of a return in early November. Yet Maresca has now revealed that the situation is far worse than he first thought and that his initial optimism was misplaced.
AdvertisementAFPMaresca sheds light on Palmer's injury
In a candid press conference on Friday, Maresca didn’t try to sugarcoat the situation and informed: "I was wrong [about Palmer]. Unfortunately, he needs to be out for six more weeks. We try to protect Cole as much as we can. The most important thing is when he comes back, he is fully fit. The medical staff are not magicians. We hope six weeks are enough. We need to see it step by step. For sure, he's going to be OK."
Palmer’s setback isn’t just bad news for Chelsea, but another headache for England boss Thomas Tuchel, who has been eager to integrate the attacker into his squad ahead of the World Cup next summer. The forward has only featured once for Tuchel’s England side and missed the last international camp due to the same injury. His prolonged absence now means he’s almost certain to miss the November internationals against Serbia and Albania, leaving his place in the squad under threat. Tuchel didn’t hide his concern when addressing the issue.
"First of all, the most important thing is that he can play without pain because the groin issue is a very dangerous one to become chronic," Tuchel said in a press conference. "This is the most important thing. When he’s fit and when he has rhythm and flow, he can decide matches on club level and, for sure, at international level. We know that. There is also with him no problem at all [for me]. We clearly understand and see the potential and the quality, but there is also a reality that he was not available in five of the [last] seven camps, so right now there are two camps left before the World Cup."
Chelsea's growing injury list
Palmer isn’t the only one in the treatment room. Maresca gave a sobering update on the rest of his squad before Chelsea’s Premier League clash at Nottingham Forest.
"Levi [Colwill] and Liam [Delap] are still out," he added. "Unfortunately Benoit [Badiashile] will be out until December, a muscle problem. We are going to wait for him. Moi [Caicedo], Enzo [Fernandez] and Pedro [Neto] did not take part in the session yesterday. We will see if they can train today. Reece is OK, he is fully fit."
During the international break, much of Chelsea’s first team stayed behind at Cobham for rehabilitation work. Fernandez returned early from Argentina duty, Caicedo wasn’t called up for Ecuador, and Joao Pedro sat out Brazil’s matches as a precaution. It’s been a constant cycle of recovery and readjustment for Maresca, who admitted that Palmer’s prolonged absence now creates a tactical puzzle that won’t be easy to solve.
"First of all, to replace Cole, it's difficult," Maresca admitted. "Cole is a very important player for us, one of the best in the league. The ones we have, in Cole's position against Liverpool was Malo Gusto. The game vs Benfica was Facundo [Buonanotte]. It depends on the game plan we have. We don't have another player like Cole. Cole is unique."
GettyHow many matches will Palmer miss for Chelsea?
Following Maresca’s update, Palmer’s absence is expected to stretch across a crucial run of fixtures. The England international will sit out games against Ajax, Sunderland, Wolves (twice), Tottenham, Qarabag, Burnley, Barcelona, and Arsenal. The club is prioritising his long-term health over any short-term boost, especially with a packed festive schedule looming.
