Blow for Chelsea as Palmer to miss six more weeks

Agency:

Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer will be out of action for six more weeks due to a groin injury, manager Enzo Maresca said on the eve of Saturday’s Premier League clash at Nottingham Forest.
Palmer sustained the injury in August, but returned to action with back-to-back goals against Brentford and Bayern Munich.

However, the 23-year-old England international aggravated the injury during Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on September 20.

“I was wrong (about Palmer). Unfortunately, he needs to be out for six more weeks,” Maresca told reporters on Friday. “We try to protect Cole as much as we can. The most important thing is when he comes back, he is fully fit.

“The medical staff are not magicians. We hope six weeks are enough. We need to see it step-by-step. For sure, he’s going to be okay.

“He looks relaxed. He has tried to recover from the injury and is doing all the therapy.”

Palmer, who has scored two goals in four matches across all competitions this season, is set to miss the Forest fixture, a Champions League tie against Ajax Amsterdam and another Premier League match versus Sunderland.

Chelsea sit seventh with 11 points from seven matches, trailing leaders Arsenal by five points.
“First of all, to replace Cole, it’s difficult. Cole is a very important player for us, one of the best in the league …,” Maresca said.