Cole Palmer missed Chelsea's final match before the international break through injury and was forced to pull out of Thomas Tuchel's England squad because of the issue
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Cole Palmer playing for Chelsea vs FC Copenhagen
Cole Palmer picked up an injury ahead of the international break
(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
Chelsea are sweating on the fitness of Cole Palmer, who's yet to return to training ahead of next week's clash with Tottenham. The Blues host Spurs next Thursday looking to bounce back from their insipid 1-0 defeat away to Arsenal before the international break.
Palmer, 22, was absent for the match after boss Enzo Maresca revealed that he'd picked up an injury. As a result of the muscle problem, the ex-Manchester City prospect was forced to pull out of the England squad, having been called up by new manager Thomas Tuchel for the Three Lions' World Cup qualifying doubler-header against Albania and Latvia.
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Chelsea boss Maresca continued to take training sessions at the Blues' Cobham base for players who didn't link up with their national teams. Among those was striker Nicolas Jackson, who's set to return against Tottenham after two months out with of a hamstring injury.
Palmer, though, hasn't been involved in the sessions, according to the Mail. The Blues initially didn't think that his injury was serious, having been sent for a second scan at the start of the international break.
His absence against Spurs could be a major blow, having scored twice in the reverse fixture earlier this season. The 22-year-old hasn't been his prolific self in 2025, however, scoring just two goals, missing the first penalty of his career and not providing a single assist.
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Maresca downplayed Palmer's struggles last month. "It's normal. It's like a team. You cannot expect Cole Palmer, every season or every game, to be like last season or like the first part of the season," the Chelsea manager affirmed.
"It's normal, it's something normal. He's a human being, he's missing some things and now it's how we react. So I was telling him that. Everything is normal. He's happy, he's okay.
"I've said already that he has been lucky in his career, even if he is young, because he's shared moments, changing rooms, with top players. He knows that any top players go through bad moments. It's how you react. Keep calm, keep working, keep laughing. Be calm, be happy, enjoy the football. It's the only thing you have to do."
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LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 03: Enzo Maresca, Manager of Chelsea, interacts with his player, Cole Palmer (C) as teammate Jadon Sancho (L) looks on during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and West Ham United FC at Stamford Bridge on February 03, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Enzo Maresca has backed Cole Palmer to recapture his form
Jackson's return to the team would give Palmer a striker to play off, with winger Pedro Neto being used as a makeshift No.9 against Arsenal.
Chelsea issued a positive update regarding Jackson on Wednesday, sharing a picture of Senegal international working in the gym at Cobham while confirming that he's been training 'on the grass' ahead of Spurs' visit to Stamford Bridge.
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