Cole Palmer set for precautionary scan after Man United injury scare as Chelsea remain hopeful

Chelsea are hoping for a lucky escape.
Chelsea will be hoping Palmer is available to face Arsenal.
Chelsea will be hoping Palmer is available to face Arsenal. / IMAGO / Sportimage

Cole Palmer is set to undergo a scan on his knee following a nasty challenge from Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez.

The 22-year-old limped off at Old Trafford after Chelsea's 1-1 draw in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, which saw Moises Caicedo strike a sweet volley into the bottom corner to secure a point for the Blues.

Palmer was on the receiving end of a bad challenge from Martinez in second half stoppage time, which on-field referee Robert Jones deemed as only a yellow card. VAR agreed with Jones' decision.

READ MORE: Premier League confirm why Lisandro Martinez wasn't shown red card for Cole Palmer challenge

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca was furious with the decision and believed Martinez had no intention of going for the ball.

Post-match, the 44-year-old said: "I don't think he has the intention of going for the ball. For me, it is clear.

Palmer (right) in pain on the ground after feeling the full force of Martinez's challenge.
Palmer (right) in pain on the ground after feeling the full force of Martinez's challenge. / IMAGO / PA Images

"It was not the intention to go for the ball. He goes for the legs. There is no doubt about the decision. I think it is quite clearly a red."

Maresca confirmed Palmer entered the Chelsea dressing room at full-time with ice on his knee as a precaution to reduce the swelling and soreness.

As reported by Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph, Palmer is expected to undergo a scan to make sure of the extent of the injury and receive formal confirmation that nothing serious has been suffered.

It's claimed the club's initial hope was 'Palmer's soreness would settle down and that he had suffered no serious damage'.

Palmer has a week to recover from the challenge due to not being included in the club's Conference League, League Phase squad due to Maresca making the decision to manage his workload.

Chelsea's next Premier League clash comes against Arsenal, who they leapfrogged in the table, at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.


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