It is said that Cole Palmerhas emerged as one of the Premier League’s electrifying talents since his £40 million move from Manchester City in 2023. However, he has been sidelined since an exit after just
21 minutes in Chelsea's 2-1 defeat to Manchester United on September 20, 2025. What reportedly began as a nagging problem during a truncated pre-season following Chelsea's Club World Cup triumph in July 2025 has evolved into a recurring nightmare, limiting the England international to only four appearances across all competitions this season with two goals notwithstanding.
A report will certainly prove to be a blow to Chelsea’s ambitions in the Premier League and Champions League as the club has opted to extend Cole Palmer's recovery period from a groin injury, pushing his potential return into November. The decision reportedly came just hours after England manager Thomas Tuchel voiced deep concerns over the 23-year-old's fitness. “He was only in the June camp—that is concerning, of course,” Tuchel reportedly said, referencing Palmer's absence from five of England's last seven international gatherings. He further added, “First of all, the most important thing is that he can play without pain, because the groin issue is a very dangerous one to become chronic. When he’s fit and when he has rhythm and flow, he can decide matches on club level and, for sure, on international level. There is also no problem with him at all (for me). We clearly understand and see the potential and the quality, but there is also a reality that he was not available in five of the (last) seven camps, so right now there are two camps left before the World Cup. It would surprise me this time if he was able to play (against Nottingham Forest).”
“I don’t think he needs surgery,” Enzo Maresca reiterated after Cole Palmer’s scans: Reports
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca and his staff have reportedly prioritized a conservative approach. It is said that initially, the Blues hoped Cole Palmer could feature in their post-international break clash with Nottingham Forest on October 18, 2025, but scans and assessments indicated insufficient progress. “We decided to protect Cole a little bit in terms of not making the injury worse,” Maresca had reportedly said earlier, but the latest evaluation has extended that timeline. “I don’t think he needs surgery; it’s just about managing the pain,” Maresca reportedly reiterated last week underscoring that the focus is on achieving full, pain-free recovery to prevent long-term damage.
This extension underscores a broader strategy at Stamford Bridge to avoid rushing Palmer back, especially given the high-stakes November schedule that includes derbies against Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, plus a pivotal Champions League showdown with FC Barcelona. Palmer is now expected to miss at least four key fixtures: the aforementioned Forest away trip, a Champions League group stage encounter with Ajax on October 22, 2025, a Carabao Cup third-round tie against Sunderland on October 29, 2025 and a Premier League home game versus Wolverhampton Wanderers on November 2, 2025.
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