Progress and potential return date

Watching Chelsea play a competent side without Cole Palmer isn’t an experience any football fan should be subject to.

The Manchester City academy graduate kept Mauricio Pochettino afloat during his sole season in charge, although the Argentine deserves plenty of credit for platforming Palmer to shine. The Englishman was also continuing to weave his magic wand at the start of Enzo Maresca’s tenure.

However, the instinctive playmaker and inevitable contributor has hit a bump in the road to kick off 2025. The opening months of the calendar year have been tough for Palmer, whose malaise was made official when he missed his first penalty at senior level against Leicester City.

The absence of Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke combined with Maresca’s rather robotic principles have contributed to Palmer’s drop-off, but their showing at the Emirates on Sunday proved Chelsea to be nothing short of unwatchable in his absence.

Palmer was out of a Blues’ Premier League starting XI for the first time since May 2024 due to injury, and here’s the latest regarding his setback.

Chelsea boss Maresca confirmed on Sunday that Palmer was missing due to a muscle injury he sustained in training the day before.

“His injury was from (Saturday’s) session, it’s a muscular problem,” the Italian said. “He needs a scan, and it is planned for (Monday) morning. I hope he can be back for our next game, but we need to wait for a scan.”

The March international break thus arrives at a timely moment for Chelsea, who can ill afford to be without their star playmaker for a significant stretch of time. The Blues won’t play again until April, and Palmer has already withdrawn from the England squad having initally been selected by Thomas Tuchel.

Morgan Gibbs-White has been called up as his replacement.

The extent of Palmer’s muscle injury won’t be known until the results of Monday’s scan are revealed. Maresca seemed hopeful that the Englishman had avoided a major issue, with an immediate return after the international break on the cards.

The Chelsea boss suggested that time off will do Palmer good after a run of ten appearances in all competitions without a goal contribution.

“We don’t wish players injury, but probably in Cole’s case in this moment it will give him some rest, physically and mentally, it could be good,” Maresca said.

Palmer has been involved in 20 of Chelsea’s 53 Premier League goals this season, and the Blues desperately need him to return to his most potent form once he recovers from injury. They sit fourth in the table with nine games to go, with the top five set to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Spurs visit Stamford Bridge after an FA Cup weekend on 3 April before Brentford welcome Maresca’s side to the Gtech three days later. Chelsea’s progression into the Conference League quarter-finals means April is a hectic one with seven games arriving.

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