Talismanic Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer is not expected to return to action from his groin injury until November, reports state.
Palmer was taken off in the early stages of the 2–1 defeat to Manchester United on Sept. 20 after worsening a niggling issue that had been bothering him for some time. That led manager Enzo Maresca to admit in the days that followed that the 23-year-old needed “protecting” from an increasingly high workload that included full participation in the summer’s Club World Cup.
Maresca has always refused to put an exact timeline on when Palmer might return to action, but did say in late September that he hoped to see him back in action immediately after the October international break.
However, The Athletic are one of a number of publishers to state that a meeting at Chelsea has concluded that Palmer will not be fit enough to return until November—exactly when he’ll step foot on the pitch again is not specified.
Even that short addition to Palmer’s recovery timeline means the attacking midfielder, regarded as one of the best in his position, will miss Premier League games against Nottingham Forest and Sunderland, a trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup fourth round, and a clash with Dutch giants Ajax in the Champions League.
Palmer Blow Adds to Chelsea Injury Crisis
Palmer’s absence is an obvious blow for Chelsea, who are also trying to navigate what has turned into a full-blown crisis in defence. Levi Colwill is a long-term absentee after tearing an ACL, while Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana were ruled out of last weekend’s thrilling late win over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
Replacements Benoît Badiashile and Josh Acheampong were then unable to play the full 90 minutes against Arne Slot’s Premier League champions, before Reece James withdrew from international duty with England after reporting to camp with an injury. His latest issue, thankfully, doesn’t appear to be too serious.
Striker Liam Delap, signed in the summer from Ipswich Town, has been another player ruled out of contention through injury, and he was joined on the sidelines for the game against Liverpool by not only Palmer but also João Pedro because of suspension.
It’s Palmer who is the mainstream attraction in west London, though, with club staff and supporters now facing an anxious wait to see whether or not he’ll be fit to feature rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Nov. 1.
Palmer has a tremendous record in the fixture, winning all four games played, and has contributed three goals and two assists in that time, including a brace in the barnstorming 4–3 win over Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last December.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea Rocked by Outcome of Cole Palmer Injury ‘Meeting’.
