Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer has been ruled out of the Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening, but he has kept himself entertained ahead of the derby
Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer has been sidelined for the majority of the season
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Chelsea ace Cole Palmer has playfully wound up Tottenham supporters before Saturday's London derby. The Blues head to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (5:30pm kick-off), desperate to bounce back in the Premier League following their 2-1 home defeat to Sunderland last weekend.
Meanwhile, Spurs know victory over their London neighbours would catapult them into second spot in the table. One player who'll be absent from the derby is Palmer, who's been battling a groin problem for most of the campaign.
The Chelsea midfielder was hastily rushed back from the physio room in September, only to worsen the issue seven days later. However, that hasn't prevented Palmer from delivering a cheeky reminder to Spurs about what unfolded in the corresponding fixture last term ahead of Saturday evening's showdown.
The 23-year-old posted a crying with laughter emoji on his Instagram story whilst resharing a 'last time out at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium' highlights reel, featuring his audacious Panenka penalty straight down the centre during a thrilling 4-3 triumph for the Blues.
Whilst Chelsea boast a superb historical record against Spurs, manager Enzo Maresca expects the encounter will be 'difficult' for his squad.
Cole Palmer's dig at Spurs
Cole Palmer's dig at Spurs(Image: colepalmer10)
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"Tottenham, I think they are doing very good," he said in Friday's pre-match press conference. "They finished last season winning the Europa League.
"They started very good this season and also because it's a derby for sure it would be a difficult game."
Palmer won't be the sole missing player for Maresca's squad. Forward Liam Delap faces suspension for the Premier League encounter following his red card against Wolves during Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie.
Maresca delivered a sharp critique of the striker's judgement that led to the dismissal, and has now been questioned once more regarding his remarks.
"Probably because I'm not from England so sometimes when I try to translate from Italian to English sometimes it's a bit different," he said.
"Liam when he's inside the pitch is more focused to do his battle against the central defender than the rest.
"This was what I was telling, what I was trying to say after that game."
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