Chelsea: Cole Palmer suffered freak injury after ‘losing game on FIFA’, says Marc Cucurella | OneFootball

Palmer suffered fractured toe at his home last week which delayed his return

Marc Cucurella has cheekily hinted Cole Palmer stubbed his toe after losing a game on FIFA.

The injury came the day before he was due to return to training following two months out with a groin injury and has delayed his return to first-team sessions.

Palmer will miss Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Barcelona and Enzo Maresca remains pessimistic of his chances of being available to face Arsenal on Sunday.

“To be fair, I couldn’t believe it,” Cucurella said, when asked how he reacted to the news Palmer had stubbed his toe and delayed his return.

Palmer has returned to individual training

Chelsea FC via Getty Images

“It’s true that these things can happen sometimes. We have a couple of times these things, but I’m stronger than them so I don’t feel anything!

“It’s a big upset for us, because he was near to playing with us and train with us. Now he needs to rest.

“But it’s part of life, a part of football. We have a personal life and have these kinds of problems. Hopefully he can recover fast.”

Cucurella was asked whether he has been informed how Palmer came to suffer the injury. Palmer is an avid fan of the video game FC 25, formerly FIFA, and Cucurella said: “To be fair, I don’t know. He’s running because I think it’s a FIFA game or something like this, I think.”

Cucurella said Tuesday’s meeting with Barcelona will be a “very special game” for him.

He came through Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy between 2012 and 2016 but left on loan to join Eibar in 2018-19 after just a single first-team appearance.

That move paved the way for his transfer to Getafe and then to Brighton, where he spent one successful season before joining Chelsea in 2022.

“Now we have the opportunity to play them in the Champions League, a special night. Chelsea-Barca is always a very special game. Hopefully we can win these three points.

“I think I’m now in a good level and have good confidence. We have a good team, and the team plays really well which helps me a lot.”

Asked whether leaving Barcelona has paid off, the 27-year-old left-back said: “I don’t think about this, because maybe if I stayed in Barcelona and didn’t move a lot, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to play in the Champions League or play for Chelsea or win the trophies that I won. Everything happens for a reason.”