Cole Palmer was taken out of Chelsea’s starting lineup just minutes before the game against West Ham at the London Stadium on Friday night. The 23-year-old forward left the pitch during warm-ups after saying he “felt something,” so manager Enzo Maresca took him out as a safety measure. Fans and experts are worried because the club hasn’t said what kind of injury it is or how bad it is yet.
At first, Palmer’s absence seemed like a big loss for Chelsea, especially since he was so important last season when he started 36 of 38 Premier League games and was the team’s most consistent attacking threat. His leaving opened the door for Estêvão, who is 17 years old, to make his full Premier League debut.
However, Palmer’s injury might be a cause for concern. The Blues have a lot of games coming up, and any long absence could be a problem for a team that is already short on players. Levi Colwill is out for the rest of the season because he hurt his ACL. Reece James is not fully fit and was named as a substitute, playing only part of the second half.
Last season, Palmer notably missed their loss to Arsenal away from home in March because of a hamstring injury. Chelsea fans are still hopeful that the injury won’t keep him out for long, especially since he has been a key part of the club’s comeback under Maresca.
Chelsea Impress Without Cole Palmer
Even though Estevao started off badly and gave the ball away, which led to Lucas Paqueta’s first goal for West Ham, the teenager quickly got back on track and was a big part of the game, as the Blues beat their hosts.
Chelsea quickly bounced back from the early setback by scoring five goals without reply. João Pedro scored to tie the game, Pedro Neto scored to give the visitors the lead, and Estêvão made up for his error by helping Enzo Fernandez score to make it 3-1. Moises Caicedo and Trevoh Chalobah scored more goals that shocked the crowd at the London Stadium.