Chelsea have confirmed that Cole Palmer will miss the game against Fulham this afternoon, due to injury. The new number 10 sustained a groin injury during the pre-game warm-up against West Ham last weekend, forcing him out of action for the tie against the Cottagers.
The injury also forced Palmer out of the England squad to take on Andorra and Serbia in the upcoming international break.
Chelsea’s Lineup to face Fulham without Cole Palmer
Along with their number 10, Chelsea will not have the services of Romeo Lavia, Levi Colwill and Badiashile against Fulham. Enzo Maresca has confirmed that the 4 players will not feature as they were not able to get back to fitness in time. Maresca will also be without Mykhailo Mudryk, who is facing a suspension due to doping.
Enzo Maresca will rely on Estevao Willian and Joao Pedro to cover for his star performer, Palmer. During the game against West Ham, Estevao was forced into the side due to Palmer’s injury just minutes before kick-off. The teenager was impressive for the most part, while Joao Pedro scored his first official goal for the Blues while starting as an attacking midfielder. Therefore, Maresca will rely on these 2 forwards to recreate Cole Palmer’s impact and threat.
The Lineup:
Sanchez
Gusto Chalobah Tosin Cucurella
Enzo Caicedo
Estevao Joao Pedro Neto
Delap
Chelsea’s record without Palmer
Since his transfer to Chelsea, Palmer has missed just 4 Premier League games to date. Chelsea has a 50% win rate without Palmer in their PL matchday squad.
The 2 losses they’ve had without Palmer in their PL matchday squad came against London rivals, Arsenal.
Their 2 wins include a 2-1 win against Crystal Palace in 23/24, and their most recent fixture, a 5-1 win against West Ham.
Cole Palmer against Fulham: previous performances
Cole Palmer started both games against Fulham in the Premier League last season. Chelsea’s home tie ended in a 1-2 loss, while the away tie ended in a 1-2 win. Palmer scored Chelsea’s only goal during their home loss.
He won both the ties he faced against Fulham in the 23/24 season. The first tie ended with a 0-2 win for Chelsea, and the second tie ended with a 1-0 win for the Blues. Palmer scored the only goal in the second tie.
When Will Cole Palmer be back?
The medical tests conducted have confirmed that the England international suffered a groin injury. However, they have not mentioned a definitive return date, nor a recovery timeframe. What we do know is that we’re unlikely to see Palmer in action until after the international break which takes place during the 2nd week of September.
When asked about Palmer’s injury, Maresca said, “We need to see day by day”. Simply put, the club are unsure about the injury’s severity. A grade one groin injury typically needs three to six weeks of recovery time. The typical recovery time increases to around two months for a grade two groin injury, which usually involves a partial tear in the muscle. However, the worst-case scenario would be a grade three injury, which usually involves a full tear in the muscle. Grade three injuries may need more than four months to recover from.
The severity of Palmer’s injury will likely be known in the coming days. Chelsea will be hoping that it’s just a Grade 1 injury, especially considering they have a difficult UCL tie against Bayern Munich coming up on September 17th, immediately after the international break.
As featured on Chelseanews.com
