Return: Cole Palmer should start for Chelsea against Everton at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea Football Newsletter
Enzo Maresca has received a boost ahead of Chelsea’s match against Everton in the Premier League, with Wesley Fofana available to start and Cole Palmer expected to play.
Fofana was introduced as a half-time substitute for Trevoh Chalobah during Tuesday’s Champions League defeat away at Atalanta but had to be taken off 30 minutes later after receiving an accidental boot to the eye which impaired his vision.
Maresca confirmed on Friday afternoon that the French centre-back is now “completely fine” and in contention to feature against Everton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The Chelsea boss said of Fofana in his pre-match press conference: “He’s available. He’s fine. He took part in the session yesterday. He is completely fine.”
Palmer should be able to start too after missing the Atalanta trip to manage his workload, but is still not 100 per cent fit after groin and toe issues and came through Thursday’s training session at Cobham with a “mixed feeling”, according to Maresca.
Moises Caicedo, who played the full game in Italy in midweek, will miss out again as he serves the final match of a three-game domestic suspension handed down following his red card against Arsenal.
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Chelsea captain Reece James may be handed a rest against Everton after coming through two lots of 90 minutes recently against Bournemouth and Atalanta. He is currently unable to play three times in a week.
Liam Delap remains sidelined with a shoulder injury picked up against Bournemouth that could keep him out for up to four weeks, and there are longer-term injuries to Dario Essugo, Romeo Lavia and Levi Colwill.
Predicted Chelsea XI (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Santos, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Joao Pedro
Injured: Delap, Essugo, Lavia, Colwill
Suspended: Caicedo
Time and date: 3pm GMT on Saturday December 13, 2025