Chelsea have been dealt another major setback with Cole Palmer ruled out for a further six weeks after a setback in his recovery from injury.
The 23-year-old limped off just 20 minutes into Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on September 20 and has been sidelined since.
He was initially expected to return after the international break, but boss Enzo Maresca confirmed on Friday that the midfielder’s recovery is taking longer than hoped.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to Nottingham Forest, Maresca admitted he had been premature in his earlier optimism.
‘I was wrong,’ he said. ‘Unfortunately, he needs to be out for six more weeks.’
Palmer has been managing a persistent groin issue throughout the early part of the campaign. Maresca had previously suggested surgery would not be necessary, and he reiterated that stance when pressed again this week.
Chelsea have been dealt another major setback with Cole Palmer ruled out for a further six weeks
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to Nottingham Forest, Enzo Maresca admitted he had been premature in his earlier optimism
‘Yes, absolutely [no surgery],’ he said. ‘We just try to protect Cole as much as we can.
‘The medical staff are not magicians. We hope six weeks are enough. It’s a problem we need to see step by step, week after week. But for sure, he will be okay. He looks very good, relaxed. He is trying to recover. He is doing all that he needs to do.’
Maresca reflected that losing Palmer and Levi Colwill has left a significant gap in Chelsea’s build-up play.
‘We lost two players in the moment that for us have been the main players in the build-up,’ he added. ‘Levi, for us, was the main one from behind, and Cole in the middle of the pitch. We are trying to find solutions.’
The England international had been targeting a November return, but Maresca’s latest update means Palmer is unlikely to feature again until the end of November or early December.
That timescale would see him miss several key fixtures, including matches against Ajax in the Champions League and Sunderland in the Premier League.
