Cole Palmer will be sidelined for a critical week in Chelsea’s season following a fractured toe from a home accident.
The 23-year-old was on the brink of returning from a groin injury but has now been ruled out of the club’s next three fixtures. This includes Saturday’s Premier League match away at Burnley, followed by a Champions League clash against Barcelona midweek and next Sunday’s home game against Arsenal.
On Friday morning, manager Enzo Maresca stated, “He is definitely unavailable for tomorrow, Barcelona, and Arsenal. Unfortunately, he had an accident at home a couple of days ago where he injured his toe, but it’s nothing serious. Nonetheless, he won’t be back.”
“It is fractured, yes. All we know is that he is out for this week and next week. Such things happen; I’ve woken up numerous times at night and bumped into things,” he added.
Palmer has not featured since he was substituted in a September 2-1 loss to Manchester United, but had been close to a return before this new injury.
“He was very close to coming back,” Maresca mentioned. “He was nearly ready from his groin issue, which was great news, but now he’s faced with this minor setback. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious.”
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Chelsea has lost only twice in all competitions since Palmer’s last appearance, moving up to third in the league. However, Maresca dismissed any notion that the team has improved in Palmer’s absence.
“Our teammates perform better with Cole on the field. I feel far more confident with Cole in the lineup, and we all want him back,” he said. “Meanwhile, we need to adapt when he’s not playing. The team is performing well, and it’s comforting for any manager when a team can thrive without a key player. But, undeniably, we are a stronger team with Cole.”
Maresca also confirmed that Benoît Badiashile (muscle strain), Enzo Fernández (knee), and Pedro Neto (groin) will all be fit to face Burnley.