Chelsea midfielder, Cole Palmer, is expected to remain sidelined until after the upcoming international break as he continues his recovery from a groin injury, manager Enzo Maresca confirmed on Friday.
Palmer was forced off in the first half of Chelsea’s 2-1 loss to Manchester United last weekend, the club’s first Premier League defeat of the season.
The 23-year-old had already missed fixtures against West Ham and Fulham with the same problem.
Maresca explained that the club had opted to give the England international more time to recover fully rather than risk aggravating the injury.
“We decided to rest him for the next two or three weeks, probably until the international break, just to see if, with that rest, he can be able to recover 100 percent and to be completely fit after the international break,” he told reporters.
The Chelsea boss stressed that Palmer would not require surgery.
“It’s just a matter of managing his pain in his groin, that, you know, with the amount of games, it’s something that can happen,” Maresca said.
“So this is the reason why we try to be a little bit conservative with him, to give him rest. Hopefully, he can be 100 percent fit after the international break.”
Chelsea face Brighton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday before back-to-back home games against Benfica and Liverpool. They will then pause for two weeks during the international window.
Maresca also revealed that defender Tosin Adarabioyo is set to miss the same period with a calf problem, while Wesley Fofana is unavailable after suffering a concussion in the League Cup win over Lincoln.
The Blues endured another setback against United when goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was dismissed for a rash challenge on Bryan Mbeumo.
His deputy Filip Jorgensen struggled in midweek, but Maresca expressed confidence in both options between the posts.
“Robert for a long period, a long time, he was very good with us,” Maresca said. “The last part of last season, the beginning of this season, he was fantastic.
“He made a mistake against Man United, I recognise that. I said many times, the ‘keeper made a mistake, it’s like midfielder or defender or striker, it’s exactly the same. We are happy with Robert, we are happy with Filip, both of them.”
