Maresca: Cole Palmer sidelined until after international break to avoid surgery | OneFootball

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Cole Palmer will not feature again until after the international break as he recovers from a groin injury.

The midfielder aggravated the problem during last weekend’s 2-1 defeat at Manchester United and was withdrawn after only 21 minutes at Old Trafford.

Palmer had already missed two matches last month with the same issue, but Maresca insists surgery will not be required.

Instead, Chelsea have opted to rest the England international for several weeks in the hope he can return fully fit in mid-October.

That means Palmer is set to miss Premier League fixtures against Brighton and Liverpool, as well as the Champions League meeting with Benfica.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Maresca explained that the decision was made to protect the player from making the problem worse.

He said the club want to be conservative in their approach, focusing on recovery and pain management rather than rushing him back.

Maresca acknowledged that Chelsea are stronger with Palmer in the side but stressed that they must adapt in his absence.

Palmer scored four goals in the same fixture against Brighton last season and has been an important creative figure since joining from Manchester City in 2023.

Chelsea are already dealing with a lengthy injury list, with Maresca also ruling out defenders Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana until after the break.

Adarabioyo has suffered a calf problem while Fofana sustained concussion in the Carabao Cup win at Lincoln City, where he was accidentally struck by goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.

Levi Colwill is sidelined for several months after knee surgery, leaving Chelsea light in central defence.

Axel Disasi remains unavailable for selection after being instructed to train away from the first-team squad following his failed summer move.

Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile are nearing fitness and could return in the coming weeks, while Robert Sanchez is expected to resume in goal following suspension.

Maresca suggested he has options to cover for Palmer in attack, including Estevao Willian, Enzo Fernandez, and Facundo Buonanotte once the Brighton match has passed.

He added that Chelsea will continue to rotate players in the coming weeks to cope with the congested schedule and mounting injuries.

The Blues face Brighton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday before hosting Benfica in Europe and then taking on champions Liverpool in the league.