How long Chelsea could be without Cole Palmer as injury update emerges

Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer came off early with an injury during the weekend’s disappointing away defeat against Manchester United. Alarming reports now indicate that he may also spend some time on the sidelines.

It has been a stop-start campaign so far for Cole Palmer, 23, because of a groin issue.

The attacking midfielder is the jewel in the crown at Chelsea, so his absence is massively felt whenever he’s not on the pitch.

On Monday, Blues head coach Enzo Maresca suggested Palmer wouldn’t need surgery on a groin problem that he can’t seem to shake. Unfortunately, the left-footed playmaker could still miss a chunk of matches in the weeks ahead.

Cole Palmer set to miss 3-6 weeks

Journalist Simon Phillips reported via Substack on Tuesday morning that Palmer has picked up a further injury to the same groin that has caused his problems since before the Club World Cup tournament.

Apparently, the Englishman has been managing through painkiller injections ahead of games because initial scans did not show up anything serious on his groin despite constant discomfort for the player.

Phillips explains that Palmer has a new tear in the same groin, so he could be out of action for 3-6 weeks. This comes as a result of further aggravating the injury in last week’s defeat in the Champions League, so the fact he then played 20 minutes against Man Utd on the weekend is baffling.

Palmer, who finished eighth in the Ballon d’Or ranking, is going to leave a huge void in the Chelsea XI.

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If Palmer faces six weeks out of action, he’s going to miss some huge fixtures. Fans will now wait for some official confirmation from the club regarding the injury blow.

Surprise signing Facundo Buonanotte be needed

It shocked most Chelsea fans when they signed Facundo Buonanotte, 20, on loan from Brighton in the closing stages of the summer transfer window.

If Palmer can’t play for an extended period, the on-loan Blues playmaker could be an option as a like-for-like replacement in a central creative role.

During September’s international break, Buonanotte impressed Chelsea’s players during a behind-closed-doors friendly, scoring a hat-trick. In terms of competitive football, the Argentine youngster has played 45 minutes against Brentford so far for the Blues.

It’s time for Chelsea’s players to roll their sleeves up and prove they can cope without the brilliance of Palmer.

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