Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer will be out for two to three weeks as he continues to manage a recurring groin injury, Afrosport reports.
The 22-year-old was forced off in the first half of last weekend’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Manchester United after the issue flared up again.
The problem initially arose during Chelsea’s shortened pre-season in August, following their Club World Cup triumph in July.
Head coach Enzo Maresca confirmed that the club has now opted to take a cautious approach with Palmer’s recovery.
“Yes, we decided to protect Cole a little bit, in terms of not letting his injury get worse,” he said. “We’ll rest him for two to three weeks until the international break, and hopefully that gives him the chance to fully recover and come back 100% fit.”
Maresca added that Palmer is not expected to need surgery, and the injury is being managed conservatively to control the pain and prevent further complications.
Palmer has started only three of Chelsea’s seven matches so far this season and was unavailable for England’s recent 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.
The Three Lions are scheduled to face Wales in a friendly on October 9, before a World Cup qualifier against Latvia five days later, and Palmer’s availability for those matches remains uncertain.
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Chelsea face a challenging run of fixtures in Palmer’s absence, including Premier League clashes with Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool, and a Champions League tie against Jose Mourinho’s Benfica ahead of the international break.
Maresca will also be without defender Tosin Adarabioyo until after the break due to a calf injury. Wesley Fofana is also ruled out of Saturday’s match against Brighton as he continues concussion protocol.
