Cole Palmer: Chelsea injury return timeline revealed as Enzo Maresca offers important update

Chelsea will be desperate to have him fit for the London derby.

Matt Debono | 2 Hours Ago

Palmer has been Chelsea's standout player since his arrival in the summer of 2023. / IMAGO / Visionhaus

Chelsea are sweating on the fitness of Cole Palmer ahead of their Premier League clash against Arsenal.

The 22-year-old had a precautionary scan on his knee this week after being fouled by Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez in stoppage time during the 1-1 draw on Sunday at Old Trafford.

Palmer limped off in pain at Old Trafford, a challenge which head coach Enzo Maresca was not happy with and insisted should've been shown a red card, and was given an ice pack in the dressing room post-match to help with the soreness.

He has not yet trained with Chelsea this week prior to their Conference League fixture against FC Noah on Thursday, however the England international is unavailable for the European tie to due being left out of the League Phase squad by Maresca in order to manage his workload.

Chelsea are hoping Palmer is available to face London rivals Arsenal in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, their last match before the November international break.

Martinez's challenge on Palmer did not go down well with Maresca. / IMAGO / PA Images

However, Palmer's availability is far from certain with Maresca hoping his return will be in time for the derby in the capital this weekend.

"Cole didn't train yesterday," the Chelsea head coach told reporters on Wednesday during his pre-match press conference.

"We will see if he can today. We hope, we need to wait and see to decide (if he is fit to face Arsenal)."

He added: "Hopefully he can be fit. The tackle is quite clear, it was not a normal one. Hopefully he can be back."

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MATT DEBONO