Chelsea star Cole Palmer is said to be out even longer than expected after picking up a surprising injury.
After firing Enzo Maresca’s men to victory in the Conference League and Club World Cup last season, the team’s talisman has been unavailable for much of this season.
Palmer, who was England’s player for the 2023/24 season, has struggled with a recurring groin injury that has resulted in him playing just three of Chelsea’s 11 Premier League games.
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The former Manchester City player has not been seen since he was forced off the pitch after 21 minutes in the loss to Manchester United in September. Maresca has previously revealed that he was wrong about the timeline for Palmer’s return.
But even though he hasn’t had surgery and was about to come back from that injury, Maresca has now revealed a new problem that Palmer is struggling with: Palmer has broken a toe in an accident at home, pushing back his return for an important part of the season. As a result, he will miss Chelsea’s next three games in all competitions.
“He’s probably not available against [Burnley], but against Barcelona or Arsenal, for sure,” Maresca explained at his press conference.
“Unfortunately, he had an accident at home where he bumped his toe. it is broken.”
“He was almost back from his groin injury, but now he has this little problem.”
When asked about a possible timetable for Palmer’s return, Maresca added, “We don’t know.”
“[The toe] is broken. The only thing we know is that he is not available this week and next week.”
According to Sky Sports, Palmer suffered the fracture of his left toe when he bumped it against a door at home. He had returned to training for a very short time at Cobham, but now faces a new wait to get back on the pitch at a time when Chelsea are third in the table, six points behind leaders Arsenal.
The problem adds to Palmer’s frustration after the groin injury kept him out of the international discussion for England.
Given his efforts for the England national team, the playmaker has been limited to just one appearance under Thomas Tuchel, and his World Cup place may appear to be under threat due to the competition for places in his position.
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England’s next international break is in March, with unannounced friendlies scheduled ahead of the main event in North America.
