Chelsea forward Cole Palmer set to miss the next three games after suffering setback | OneFootball

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Cole Palmer will miss the next three games after suffering a setback in his recovery.

After a convincing 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in their last Premier League outing, the Blues travel to Turf Moor on Saturday looking to keep their momentum going.

A victory over Scott Parker’s side would briefly lift Chelsea into second place, putting early pressure on Manchester City before they visit St James’ Park on Sunday.

However, Maresca has confirmed that Chelsea will have to do so without Palmer.

The England international has been out since September with a groin injury. He was expected to return this month, but a freak accident at home has halted his progress.

Palmer fractured his little toe two days ago, and although the injury is not serious, it will keep him out for at least the next three fixtures.

“Cole won’t be available for tomorrow,” Maresca said at his pre-match press conference. “For sure, he won’t feature in this game [Burnley], and for sure not for Barcelona or Arsenal.

“Unfortunately, he had an accident at home two days ago, where he hit his toe. It is fractured.

“He was very close to being back with us from his groin issue. Which is very good, but then he had this problem with his toe, which has set him back.”

Despite Palmer’s setback, there were a few positives elsewhere in the Chelsea squad.

Maresca confirmed that Benoit Badiashile is available to face Burnley after spending weeks on the sidelines.

Moises Caicedo has also returned from international duty without any complications, while Enzo Fernandez and Pedro Neto have shaken off minor issues.

“Benoit is back and he’s available for tomorrow, which is very good news for us,” Maresca added.

“Enzo and Pedro used the international break to recover from the little issues they had and recover the energy levels. They are both okay and available for tomorrow’s game.”