Cole Palmer suffers major injury setback after ‘freak’ incident at his home

Palmer, named England’s 2023/24 Player of the Year, has been dealing with a recurring groin problem, limiting him to just three appearances in Chelsea’s 11 Premier League matches.

The former Manchester City player has not featured since being substituted 21 minutes into the loss to Manchester United in September, with Maresca previously admitting he misjudged the timeline for Palmer’s recovery.

Although he has avoided surgery and was close to returning from that injury, Maresca has now disclosed a new issue Palmer is facing.

Palmer fractured his toe in a domestic accident, delaying his comeback during a crucial phase of the season. As a result, he is expected to miss Chelsea’s next three fixtures across all competitions.

“He is probably not available for [Burnley], but Barcelona or Arsenal, for sure,” Maresca explained in his press conference.

“Unfortunately, he had an accident at home where he hit his toe… it’s fractured.

“He was almost back from the groin [injury], but now he has this small problem.”

When asked about a potential return date, Maresca added: “We don’t know.

“[His toe] It’s fractured. The only thing we know he is not available for this week and next week.”

Sky Sports reports that Palmer sustained the toe injury on his left foot after stubbing it against a door at home. He had briefly resumed training at Cobham but now faces another spell on the sidelines, with Chelsea currently sitting third in the league, six points adrift of leaders Arsenal.

This latest setback compounds Palmer’s frustrations, especially after the groin issue kept him out of England duty.

Despite his contributions for the Three Lions, the midfielder has made just one appearance under Thomas Tuchel, and his place in the World Cup squad could be in jeopardy due to fierce competition in his position.

England’s next international break is scheduled for March, with unconfirmed friendlies planned ahead of the tournament in North America.