CHELSEA midfielder Cole Palmer is expected to be unavailable until after next month’s international break as he recovers from a groin injury.
Manager Enzo Maresca announced the decision on Friday, explaining the club aims to give the player sufficient time for a full recovery.
The England international was substituted during the first half of Chelsea’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at Manchester United last week.
This marked the team’s first loss of the season and a recurrence of the groin issue that previously caused Palmer to miss matches against West Ham and Fulham.
Maresca stated that Chelsea chose to “protect” Palmer to prevent the injury from worsening further.
“We decided to rest him for the next two or three weeks, probably until the international break, just to see if, with that rest, he can be able to recover 100 percent and to be completely fit after the international break,“ he explained.
The manager clarified that he does not believe the injury will require surgical intervention.
“It’s just a matter of managing his pain in his groin, that, you know, with the amount of games, it’s something that can happen,“ said the Italian.
“So this is the reason why we try to be a little bit conservative with him, to give him rest. Hopefully, he can be 100 percent fit after the international break.”
Chelsea’s upcoming fixtures include a home match against Brighton on Saturday, followed by games against Benfica and Liverpool next week.
The team then has a two-week break for international matches, which aligns with Palmer’s expected return timeline.
Maresca also provided updates on other injured players, confirming defender Tosin Adarabioyo is likely out until the international break with a calf problem.
Fellow defender Wesley Fofana sustained a concussion during Chelsea’s midweek League Cup victory against Lincoln.
The match at Old Trafford dealt an early blow to Chelsea when goalkeeper Robert Sanchez received a red card for a challenge on Bryan Mbeumo.
Back-up goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen’s performance against Lincoln was not particularly impressive, but Maresca expressed confidence in both his goalkeeping options.
“Robert for a long period, a long time, he was very good with us,“ said the Italian. “The last part of last season, the beginning of this season, he was fantastic.
“He made a mistake against Man United, I recognise that. I said many times, the ‘keeper made a mistake, it’s like midfielder or defender or striker, it’s exactly the same. We are happy with Robert, we are happy with Filip, both of them.” – AFP