Chelsea will make the long trip to the North West this weekend where they return to Premier League action against Burnley.
The Blues will be the visitors in their early kick-off tomorrow afternoon, and three points on their trip to Turf Moor could put them ahead of Manchester City in the table before their evening clash with Newcastle United.
Following the final international break until March, Chelsea now have the opportunity to get their teeth into the Premier League title race and stake their claim to a spot in the round of sixteen in the Champions League.
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A congested fixture list lies ahead over the festive period, but if they can navigate it with strong results, there is no reason why they won’t be in the conversation with Arsenal and Man City for the title.
In terms of injuries, the West London giants have been battling constant issues since winning the Club World Cup back in July.
Levi Colwill, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Benoit Badiashile, Enzo Fernandez, Pedro Neto and Romeo Lavia have all had recent complications, leaving Enzo Maresca juggling selections.
Palmer, in particular, has been a massive blow given his presence in front of goal, and he has already been out for two months after suffering a groin injury.
It was believed he would return to full team training this week, but another bizarre and unfortunate setback has delivered another blow for Maresca ahead of the Burnley trip tomorrow.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference this morning, the Chelsea boss revealed:
“He [Palmer] is probably not available for Saturday for sure, Barcelona for sure or Arsenal for sure,” said Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca.
“Unfortunately, he had an accident at home where he hit his toe. It is nothing important, but he won’t be back in the next week.”
“I wake up many times during the night – I hit my head, my legs, my everything – so it can happen.”
On a lighter note, Enzo Fernandez, Pedro Neto and Benoit Badiashile are all available for Burnley tomorrow.
When will Cole Palmer return?
Chelsea fans will be extremely frustrated with the latest update on Palmer, as he could genuinely be the catalyst for their progress in the upcoming fixtures.
The Blues are on the cusp of being a real threat in the Premier League, and having Palmer in the team would instil greater confidence in that possibility.
Maresca has outlined that the 23-year-old will not be available for Burnley, Barcelona or Arsenal, so there is potential for him to return against Leeds United in the Premier League on December 3rd.
Elsewhere, the return of Fernandez, Badiashile and Neto will be a major boost for Maresca, as Neto can be a direct threat in front of goal in Palmer’s absence.
Chelsea should possess enough attacking quality to challenge the Clarets with ease this weekend, but Barcelona in the Champions League, followed by Arsenal, will be far more difficult to navigate as fatigue sets in.
A victory over the Gunners would be a massive statement of their potential to compete for the Premier League title, with or without Palmer, as they are currently only six points behind the league leaders.
With that being said, all eyes will be on the next two league fixtures, how they handle the pressure of staying in close contention in the title race and whether they can manage that without Palmer for a little longer.
Rebekka Arnold
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Rebekka Arnold is an experienced writer with a strong background in digital media, PR and football journalism. Since 2021, Rebekka has written opinion pieces and match reaction content for Football Fancast, part of the Snack Media network, building on her growing presence in the football community through viral Twitter content and podcasting. Now at Transfer Tavern, Rebekka brings her sharp eye for analysis and deep passion for the game to deliver engaging football opinion and breaking transfer news content.
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