Fernández, Palmer & Gittens: Latest Chelsea injury news and expected return dates ahead of Burnley matchplaceholder image
Fernández, Palmer & Gittens: Latest Chelsea injury news and expected return dates ahead of Burnley match | Getty Images
The latest Chelsea injury news - with updates on Enzo Fernández, Jamie Gittens, Pedro Neto and the return of Cole Palmer.
Chelsea return to Premier League action this Saturday when they take on Burnley at Turf Moor – but may have to do so without several key players as injuries once again threaten to make life more difficult for Enzo Maresca.
Enzo Fernández and Pedro Neto both carried injuries into the November international break while winger Jamie Gittens limped off while playing for England Under-21s – and all told, Chelsea could be missing as many as eight players from the line-up this weekend.
We’ve got the latest Chelsea injury news and an update on Cole Palmer’s condition below, along with all of the stricken players’ expected return dates when available.
Will Enzo Fernández and Pedro Neto be fit to face Burnley?
The two players who took fitness issues into the break – midfielder Enzo Fernández and winger Pedro Neto - remain doubts for the coming weekend after withdrawing from their respective national squads, although Neto looks likely to be fit after he returned to training on schedule this week following a minor groin injury.
There is a bigger question mark over the availability of Fernández, who revealed that he had been dealing with a bone edema in his knee for four months before pulling out of the Argentina squad for their friendly against Angola. Fernández told the media that he had been advised to rest for “two or three weeks,” putting his participation this weekend in doubt. The club have yet to comment further on whether they will risk the 24-year-old.
The other international break alarm bell was rung by young winger Gittens, who limped off after a hard tackle during an Under-21 match against the Republic of Ireland – that proved to be precautionary, however, and he managed a full 90 minutes against Slovakia just four days later. There are no reasons to believe that he will be unavailable to face Burnley.
João Pedro, who was substituted at his own request during the recent win over Wolverhampton Wanderers and had been a minor concern heading into the international break, ultimately stayed with the Brazil squad but played just 25 minutes of football against Senegal before being left on the bench for a 1-1 draw with Tunisia. There are no serious concerns that he will miss time for Chelsea, but his fitness may have played some role in his reduced playing time.
When will Cole Palmer be back for Chelsea?
There is also good news regarding the fitness of key player Cole Palmer, who has been sidelined for two months by a groin injury – The Evening Standard reported on Tuesday that Chelsea believe he will be fit to make his comeback against Barcelona in the Champions League next week.
The club are said to be “actively working towards” the midweek fixture but have supposedly “not yet completely ruled out” the possibility of a substitute appearance against Burnley. Either way, the long wait appears to be reaching its long-awaited conclusion.
Elsewhere, Chelsea will still be without midfielder Roméo Lavia (thigh) and centre-half Benoît Badiashile (muscular), both of whom are expected to return in early December, along with long-term absentees Levi Colwill (ACL) and Dário Essugo (thigh). Essugo is expected to return to training in early January, while Colwill may not play at all during the 2025/26 season while he recovers from surgery.
Continue Reading