By Frank Ulom
LONDON (CONVERSEER) – Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has confirmed that forward Cole Palmer will be out of action for at least another six weeks as he continues his recovery from a groin injury. However, the Italian received a boost ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest as Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana and Andrey Santos return to the squad.
Palmer has been sidelined since aggravating the issue in the 2–1 win over Manchester United on 20 September. He has missed four matches so far, with the club taking a cautious approach to his rehabilitation at Cobham.
“Unfortunately, he needs to be out for probably six more weeks, this is the update,” Maresca said during his pre-match press conference. “We try to protect Cole as much as we can and the most important thing is that when he comes back, he is fully fit. We hope the six weeks will be enough, but it’s a problem that we need to look at step by step, week by week. But for sure he is going to be okay.”
The absence of Palmer, one of Chelsea’s standout performers last season, is a setback for Maresca’s side, which faces a congested fixture schedule over the coming weeks.
There was positive news elsewhere as Tosin, Fofana and Santos returned to training during the international break and are available for selection this weekend. The trio missed Chelsea’s recent wins over Benfica and Liverpool.
Reece James is also fit and in contention to make his 200th appearance for the club. The captain sat out England duty as a precaution after picking up a knock in the victory against Liverpool.
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Meanwhile, Maresca revealed that the availability of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernández and Pedro Neto will depend on their participation in Friday’s training session. “They didn’t take part in the session yesterday, but we will see if they can train today. Otherwise, they would be out for tomorrow,” he explained.
However, there was a setback for Benoît Badiashile, who faces another spell on the sidelines after suffering a muscle injury during the Liverpool match. “Benoît will be out until December,” Maresca confirmed. “He is injured again with a muscle problem. He was doing fantastic, showing how good he is, and how we need him. So we will wait for him.”
Chelsea will train at Cobham before travelling to Nottingham later today for the lunchtime kick-off at the City Ground, where they will look to maintain their recent winning momentum despite Palmer’s extended absence.
