Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer is closing in on a return for the Blues after being out of action for several weeks with a recurring groin issue.
Palmer has had injury problems since the Club World Cup in the summer, but has been treated with a lot of caution by Enzo Maresca, meaning he could potentially return sooner than expected, which is a huge boost for the Blues.
Chelsea return from the international break with a game against newly-promoted Burnley, hoping to make it three Premier League wins in a row, after they beat Wolves 3-0 before the break, taking them up to third in the league table.
Palmer won’t be available for the game against Burnley, which is a blow; however, with crucial games against Barcelona, Arsenal, Bournemouth, and more coming up, Maresca will hope Palmer can return as soon as possible.
Palmer could return for Chelsea vs Barcelona next week
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Fresh injury reports are indicating that because Chelsea have been so cautious with Palmer’s groin issue in the last couple of months. Maresca has most recently said that “we go day by day with Cole”, but it seems they could be getting him back earlier than expected.
According to the Standard, Chelsea have named a target match for Palmer to return for, and it is in just a weeks time against Barcelona in the Champions League. Their report says: “Standard Sport understands that it remains the hope of both Palmer and the club that he will have recovered from the reoccurring groin issue that has plagued him since the Club World Cup in time to feature against Barca.”
If he can’t return against Barcelona, Chelsea should have Palmer back before they play against Arsenal in what could be a huge game in the Premier League. If the Blues were able to beat the league leaders, it could place them right into the heart of the Premier League title fight, which would be amazing for Maresca’s side.
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