Chelsea are stressing over the fitness of their star player, Cole Palmer. He withdrew his name from the England squad, for the international break amid injury concerns. The young star was set to start against arch-rivals, Ireland, but the camp announced his return to London as a precaution.
The diagnostic test results haven’t been disclosed by the club yet. However, according to reports, it is felt that the 22-year old will be able to recover within the next 10 days.
Former captain, Reece James, is also sidelined because of a hamstring injury. French defender, Malo Gusto, has been his replacement for now. However, even the Frenchman is injury prone. He recently suffered a knock against Crystal Palace, making the fans sweat about his recovery as well.
Blues’ current captain, Enzo Fernandez, also had to be taken off against the Eagles. The Argentine has injured his jaw. However, he featured in the international fixtures for Argetina.
Youngster Romeo Lavia is also recovering from a hamstring injury. He does not have a return date to the squad as of now. Manager Enzo Maresca spoke to Sky sports in a press conference regarding Romeo Lavia fitness issue. He said;
“Romeo has a small hamstring issue, but it’s not a huge concern.”
When he was asked about Malo Gusto, he says;
“With Malo, we will see now what happens, it looks like a muscle problem, so we will see.“
Palmer left out of Chelsea’s Conference league squad
Cole Palmer has been Chelsea’s star since last season, bailing them out on several occasions. The 22-year old is a major reason why Chelsea are playing in an European competition.
However, fans will not be able to see him showcase his skills in Europe, as of now. The Englishman has not been registered in Chelsea’s squad for the Conference league.
Manager Enzo Maresca feels that the likes of Jadon Sancho, Noni Madueke, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku should be more than enough to get past the likes of Shamrock Rovers and FC Noah.
Chelsea have started a new trend which could be followed by other clubs in the foreseeable future as well. Earlier, star players were left out of matchday squads against easier opponents but were registered in the 24-man squad. The Blues have modified that and came up with a smarter plan.
Chelsea will play many games this season, so, giving a player like Palmer rest, in such low profile games, might benefit and help him to prepare for the big games. The Blues’ have a knack for injuries, therefore they do not want to take risks with their main man.
Maresca views the Conference League as quite low down in his priority list, otherwise he would have selected Palmer in his squad.
However, former Aston Villa star, Gabby Agbonlahor, speaking to Talk Sport, slammed this decision as “disrespectful” to the competition. He says;
“I think it’s disrespectful to the competition because they wouldn’t do that for the Europa League or the Champions League.“
Last chance for the youngster to prove himself
Chelsea have decided to give Carney Chukwemeka a last chance to prove himself as a first team player. The youngster was transfer listed this summer, but he couldn’t find any club. The club understands that the player has not been able to showcase his full potential due to injuries.
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, though, the club have not given up on him yet and will give the 20-year-old the chance to prove himself before they think about selling him.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs says;
“Chelsea don’t look at Chukwuemeka as somebody that is a big outlay on the wage bill, nor was he signed for a particularly large fee. It was a big fee, given his age and his profile at the time, but it’s under £20million in all.”
“So Chelsea want to give the player the opportunity to maybe change their mind or move higher in the pecking order, and that may come through a loan to get him more minutes, or if something can’t be facilitated, they’ll be open for a sale in 2025.”
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