During the pre-match exercises on Friday evening, Cole Palmer experienced a slight discomfort, leading to his removal from Chelsea’s initial lineup as a safety measure.
Palmer, a pivotal figure for Chelsea ever since his transfer from Manchester City in 2023, persevered through a groin issue during the season’s inaugural weekend against Crystal Palace.
However, the 5-1 triumph at the London Stadium proved to be excessively demanding for the attacker, resulting in Estevao taking his place in the squad. Despite his absence, Chelsea managed to secure a comfortable victory, with goals contributed by Joao Pedro, Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernandes, Moises Caicedo, and Trevoh Chalobah.
Will Cole Palmer of Chelsea be fit for this weekend’s match?
Chelsea’s participation and subsequent victory in this summer’s Club World Cup has resulted in a truncated pre-season schedule, played out in the United States.
Palmer, who may have sustained the injury during the aforementioned tournament, is now in a race to recover in time for Fulham’s visit on Saturday at lunchtime.
Whilst the exact length of Palmer’s spell on the sidelines remains unconfirmed, indications suggest it is only a minor concern.
“He’s currently undergoing individual exercises within the pool and the gym, with the focus on minimizing exertion to facilitate his potential availability for the Fulham match on Saturday.” Reported Gary Cotterill of Sky Sports News.
Even if the Fulham game comes too early for Palmer, he could still feature for England during the international break.
After England’s encounters with Andorra and Serbia, Chelsea face a challenging schedule that includes a match against Brentford on September 13, followed by a visit to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on September 20.
