Chelsea will be without Cole Palmer for another six weeks as the forward continues to recover from a recurring groin injury, manager Enzo Maresca confirmed on Friday.
Palmer hasn’t featured for the Blues since a 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on 20 September. He was forced off in the first half at Old Trafford and has been battling the persistent injury, which started during Chelsea’s pre-season campaign.
The 23-year-old has played four times for the Blues this season, including starting three of their seven Premier League games.
The Blues made a decision to rest the England star before this month’s international break, hoping to have him back by November. However, Maresca has revealed that Palmer will be out for about six weeks, pushing his possible return to the end of next month.
“I was wrong,” Maresca said at his pre-match conference on Friday. “Unfortunately, he [Palmer] needs to be out probably six more weeks. So, yes, this is the update.”
The Chelsea boss reiterated that Palmer’s inury does not require surgery, saying: “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 OK. He looks relaxed. He has tried to recover from the injury and is doing all the therapy.”
Chelsea ended their three-game winless league run with a dramatic 2-1 win over Liverpool last time out, with Palmer sidelined. But, Maresca believes the Club World Cup champions will miss their talisman ahead of Saturday’s trip to Nottingham Forest.
“To replace Cole is difficult, because Cole is a very important player for us – probably one of the best players in the Premier League – so to replace that kind of player is always difficult,” the Italian explained. “We don’t have another player like Cole, because Cole is unique.”
Forest next. pic.twitter.com/WkoeBPfllH
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 15, 2025
Palmer is expected to also miss Premier League clashes with Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur, Burnley and Arsenal, as well as a League Cup tie at Wolves, who they will also face in the league during this run.
The former Manchester City forward will also be sidelined for crucial Champions League matches against Ajax, Qarabag and Barcelona
He missed England’s games against Wales and Latvia this month and is already ruled out of November’s window, with the Three Lions facing Serbia and Albania in their final World Cup qualifying fixtures.
