Chelsea fans are on edge after manager Enzo Maresca dropped a major update on star player Cole Palmer’s ongoing groin injury, sparking fresh fears about the midfielder’s fitness for the rest of the season.
Palmer, who has been plagued by the persistent issue, experienced “completely bad” pain following his recent substitute appearance against Leeds United. The 22-year-old’s stop-start campaign has seen him limited to just six outings across all competitions, with no full 90-minute performance since September.
The Blues are keeping a close eye on the situation, opting to leave Palmer behind in London rather than risk him during their Champions League defeat to Atalanta in Italy earlier this week. While internal discussions at Stamford Bridge have not yet turned to surgery as a solution, there’s growing concern within the club that Palmer isn’t feeling fully recovered after certain matches and training sessions.
England boss Thomas Tuchel is eager to include Palmer in his 26-man squad for next summer’s World Cup in North America, but the injury has severely hampered his international involvement. Since Tuchel took charge in January, Palmer has managed only 65 minutes in a single qualifier—against lowly Andorra—highlighting the ill-timed setbacks.
Operating in England’s highly competitive No. 10 position, Palmer’s recovery was further complicated by a bizarre toe fracture sustained at home three weeks ago. Fortunately, that injury is now believed to be fully healed.
Ahead of Chelsea’s home clash with Everton on Saturday, Maresca confirmed that Palmer is fit enough to start, though he’s not yet capable of lasting the full 90 minutes. The manager revealed a “mixed feeling” regarding pain after Palmer completed Thursday’s training at Cobham.
His latest cameo came in Chelsea’s 3-1 loss at Elland Road against Leeds, where he entered the fray in the 61st minute. Addressing whether Palmer might have to grit his teeth through intermittent groin pain for the remainder of the campaign, Maresca admitted: “Hopefully not. But it’s something that is a little bit day by day.
“You can see he’s getting better, [then] some days it can be worse. For instance, after Leeds, he was completely bad, the day after. And he played [only] half an hour.
“After Bournemouth, he was OK. He played one hour. There’s not any sense [to it]. It’s day by day that decides how he feels.”
Maresca also disclosed that Palmer is among several Chelsea stars, including captain Reece James, whom the club deems unable to handle three full 90-minute games in a single week without risking further injury aggravation. “At the moment, absolutely yes,” he stated.
Despite external speculation that surgery may be inevitable to permanently resolve Palmer’s groin woes, Maresca insists that Chelsea’s medical team isn’t entertaining the idea right now. “No one mentioned anything to me about surgery,” he emphasized.
As Chelsea push forward in a packed schedule, this latest revelation has left supporters and pundits alike questioning how the team will manage without one of their key creative forces at full strength. With the World Cup looming, Palmer’s fitness battle could have ripple effects far beyond Stamford Bridge.