Chelsea are hoping that Cole Palmer will be back from injury for the Champions League match against Barcelona on November 25. The 23-year-old has missed a lot of games this season because of a recurring groin problem, but both he and the club think the Stamford Bridge game is a good time for him to come back.
Palmer has been dealing with his groin problem since before the season started, and head coach Enzo Maresca recently said he would be out for about six weeks. Reports from England say that Chelsea is being careful and will only let him play against Barcelona if he has no problems in training.
He has only started two games this season, one of which was against Manchester United, when he was taken off in the first half. Still, the Blues have stayed competitive in both Europe and at home, despite his absence.
The match against Barcelona, which is part of the new Champions League league phase, is going to be a big night. After four games, Chelsea and the Spanish giants both have seven points, and Qarabag also has seven after their draw with the London side. This means that qualification is very close, going into Matchday 5 of the competition.
If Palmer comes back, it would be a big help for Maresca. In the 2023/24, the England international was Chelsea’s best player. He scored 22 goals in the Premier League and set up 11 more, which was the most combined in the league. He finished second to Erling Haaland in the scoring charts.
Chelsea really misses his creativity and the end product. They hope that his recovery goes well enough for him to play a part when Barcelona comes to Stamford Bridge on November 25.
Enzo Maresca Expected to Take Cautious Approach With Cole Palmer
Enzo Maresca is likely to be much more careful with Cole Palmer’s health as the Chelsea playmaker gets closer to coming back from a groin injury. Those at Stamford Bridge know that his long-term health must come first.
His last return under Maresca showed how dangerous it was to speed up his work. The 23-year-old came on as a sub against Brentford and scored. A few days later, he started and played the full 90 minutes away to Bayern Munich, scoring again.
But when he played for the third time in a week, starting against Manchester United, he had to leave the game in the first half due to another injury. That sequence has shown that the Blues need a more careful plan this time.
Internally, everyone knows that Palmer’s role is key to Chelsea’s medium- and long-term plans under Maresca. That makes it more likely that, if there is still any risk around the Barcelona game, the medical and coaching staff will prioritize his full recovery over short-term gains in a single high-profile game.