Palmer has played just two games in the Premier League so far: the opening match against Crystal Palace and a match against Manchester United last month.
His appearance at Old Trafford ended prematurely after just twenty minutes, as he was forced to leave due to the same groin injury.
Chelsea have taken a cautious approach to Palmer’s recovery, opting to exclude him from the squad following the setback at United. As a result, he missed games against Lincoln City, Brighton, Benfica and Liverpool, leading to the October international break.
There was initial hope that he would be fit for the match at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, October 18, but following discussions between Enzo Maresca and the club’s medical team, that target has now been postponed.
According to The Athletic, Palmer will miss the game at Forest, the Champions League match against Ajax, the Premier League match against Sunderland and the Carabao Cup fourth round match against Wolves.
However, the current recovery timeline suggests he could be back in time for the game against Tottenham on November 1.
So far this season, Palmer has made just four appearances and scored twice. He found the net after coming off the bench against Brentford in mid-September and followed it up four days later with a goal in a starting role against Bayern Munich.
The groin problem has also kept him out of England, with just one appearance under Thomas Tuchel so far.
With the World Cup on the horizon, Tuchel acknowledged this week that the ‘worrying’ groin problem could impact Palmer’s chances of making the final squad.
“He was only in the June camp, which is of course worrying,” Tuchel said of Palmer’s fitness issues after confirming England would also be without captain Kane due to injury.
‘First of all, the most important thing is that he can play without pain, because the groin injury is very dangerous to become chronic. This is the most important thing.
‘If he is fit and has rhythm and flow, he can decide games at club level and certainly at international level. We know that.
‘There is no problem with him either [for me]. We clearly understand and see the potential and quality, but there is also a reality that he was not available in five of the [last] seven sides, so there are now two sides left for the World Cup.’
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