Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has provided an injury update for key striker Cole Palmer ahead of the Blues’ 180th London derby match against Tottenham Hotspur.
Palmer’s injury came during Chelsea’s defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford in September, when he was forced off after just 21 minutes.
The England international, who was recently honored with a plaque to mark his 100th appearance for the Blues, has since missed eight games with no clear recovery timeline yet established due to the ongoing nature of his groin problem.
The 23-year-old has had a frustrating season, making just four appearances so far and completing the full 90 minutes in just two of those matches. Despite limited action, the versatile forward has found the net twice – once in the Premier League and once in the UEFA Champions League.
He has since been sidelined for eight games for the Blues, and Maresca has now provided an update on Palmer’s condition throughout his career. press conference before the matchoutlining the progress of his rehabilitation and when Chelsea supporters can expect to see their key man back in action.
“I just met him in the canteen for breakfast and I said to him, ‘I’ll say you’ll be back in a week,’” Maresca said ahead of Chelsea’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
‘He laughed. Now with Cole, exactly the same plan. Wait, and hopefully he can be back soon.”
Positive
On the plus side, Chelsea have received a triple injury boost ahead of their trip to Tottenham after Maresca confirmed Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are available to start against Spurs despite nursing injuries and coming off the bench at Molineux.
He also confirmed that Joao Pedro, who has been struggling with a groin problem, is fit to return for Saturday’s match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after being rested against Wolves.
‘The reason why Joao didn’t play against Wolves is because we were trying to protect him. The same went for Enzo and Moi, just to give them some minutes, but the idea is to protect these players.” Maresca said when asked about his team’s fitness update
After their disappointing defeat to Sunderland, Chelsea will aim for a fifth win in a row – and a third successive victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – when they take on the Europa League champions on Saturday, November 1 at 5.30pm.
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