Chelsea’s Premier League Hopes Dashed As Cole Palmer, 1 Other Suffer Serious Injury Setbacks
- Chelsea’s growing injury list is threatening to derail the Blues challenge for the Premier League title this season
- English forward Cole Palmer is set for another six weeks out with a groin injury after suffering a setback in recovery
- Defender Benoit Badiashile is also sidelined until December with a muscle problem
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Chelsea have been hit with a major setback as head coach Enzo Maresca confirmed that star forward Cole Palmer will be out for at least six more weeks due to a groin injury.
The England international was expected to return after the October international break, but Maresca revealed that Palmer’s recovery is taking longer than anticipated.
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The 23-year-old first sustained the injury during warm-ups against West Ham in August and aggravated it in Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester United in September. Since then, Palmer has managed just four appearances this season, Sky Sports reports.
“I was wrong. Unfortunately, he has to be out probably six more weeks,” Maresca told reporters ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest.
“We are trying to protect Cole as much as we can. The most important thing is that when he comes back, he is fully fit.”
Palmer’s absence leaves a big creative hole in Chelsea’s attack as the England forward had quickly become one of the Blues’ most reliable performers under Maresca.
Badiashile joins the growing injury list
Adding to Chelsea’s problems, central defender Benoit Badiashile has also been ruled out until December after suffering a muscle injury in training, per BBC.
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The Frenchman had been in fine form before his setback, solidifying Chelsea’s backline and impressing with his performances for the Blues.
Maresca expressed his disappointment over losing yet another key player:
“He was doing fantastic. He showed how good he is, he showed how much we need him, and we’re going to wait for him.”
Badiashile’s absence further stretches Chelsea’s defensive options, with Maresca already juggling the fitness of Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, and Axel Disasi.
The injury crisis has hit at the worst possible time, with Chelsea entering a busy run of fixtures across all competitions.
Tough matches ahead for struggling Chelsea
Chelsea have endured a mixed start to the season, collecting just 11 points from their opening seven Premier League games while alternating wins and losses in the Champions League.
Their 3-1 win over Liverpool before the international break had sparked optimism, but the recent injury news threatens to stall that progress.
Upcoming matches against Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, Tottenham, and Wolves will test Chelsea’s squad depth and tactical resilience.
With several first-team players, including Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and Joao Pedro, also suffering from small knocks, Maresca faces a tough task in keeping the Blues competitive.
Palmer withdraws from Chelsea squad
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Enzo Maresca has provided an update on Cole Palmer after the attacker withdrew from Chelsea’s 5-1 win over West Ham due to an injury.
Palmer left the warmup early, speaking to a physio, giving fans a scare before he was dropped from the starting and replaced by Brazilian Estevao Willian for his full debut.
Source: Legit.ng
