Chelsea overcame Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening in the UEFA Champions League, despite Enzo Maresca having numerous injuries to navigate within his squad.
Cole Palmer kicks a ball in training.
Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer has been side-lined since September.(Image: Darren Walsh, Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
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Chelsea secured a second convincing win following November's international break on Tuesday; this time against Barcelona. Enzo Maresca's squad demonstrated their strength in a 2-0 triumph over Burnley at the weekend, with goals coming from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez.
The Blues' ruthless form was evident, once again, this week as they coasted to a 3-0 Champions League triumph vs Barcelona at Stamford Bridge. Joules Kounde inadvertently scored an own goal, midway through the first-half, before Ronald Araujo's dismissal gave the hosts a significant advantage.
The captain received his first yellow card for, seemingly, shouting at on-field referee Slavko Vincic, before being shown a second yellow and sent-off 44 minutes into the game after a collision with Marc Cucurella. Estevao doubled Chelsea's lead 10 minutes into the second half, and Liam Delap sealed the game with just over 15 minutes remaining, securing a convincing win for the home side.
Cole Palmer
It's been a lengthy recovery journey for Cole Palmer, who hasn't featured in Chelsea's squad since the club's 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in September. While Palmer was originally side-lined with a groin injury, it emerged last week that he had fractured his toe in an accident at home.
Speaking ahead of Chelsea's clash with Barcelona, Maresca told the press: "Yes, Cole is wearing a boot. We don't know when [he will be back to full fitness], but that will be soon.
Enzo Maresca reacts.
Enzo Maresca has a number of injured players to navigate.
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"He's already on the pitch and so he's already touching the ball. The feeling is good. At the moment, we are only looking at tomorrow's game. It's a Champions League game against Barcelona, that is our focus and then we will look ahead to Arsenal. I don't think he will be available for these two games, but he's doing well."
Romeo Lavia
Romeo Lavia picked up a quad injury just minutes into Chelsea's Champions League fixture against Qarabag on November 5, and has been ruled out for at least a month.
Dario Essugo
Dario Essugo picked up a thigh injury while representing the Portugal U21 squad on international duty, and underwent surgery as a result. He continues to recover from the problem, though a return date hasn't been confirmed for the young talent.
Levi Colwill
Chelsea's Levi Colwill has been side-lined since pre-season due to an ACL injury. According to reports, the centre-back is expected to miss the majority of the season, but there's a glimmer of hope he could make a return in May.
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