The England international fractured his little toe stubbing it on a door at home – just as he was set to return from groin injury ahead of crucial fixtures
Cole Palmer has fractured his little toe in a freak accident at home, ruling the Chelsea and England star out of crucial upcoming fixtures including the clash against Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Palmer stubbed his left foot on a door on Wednesday night, leaving him sidelined for even longer just as he was on the verge of returning from his groin injury. Chelsea will now face Burnley tomorrow followed by Barcelona in the Champions League and league-leading Arsenal without their talismanic playmaker.
Maresca Confirms Palmer Absence
Manager Enzo Maresca broke the news at his pre-match press conference this morning, revealing the bizarre circumstances of the 23-year-old’s latest setback.
“He’s not available for tomorrow for sure, Barcelona for sure, Arsenal for sure,” Maresca said. “Unfortunately he had an accident at home two days ago and he hit his toe. It’s nothing important, but for sure, he’s not back next week.”
The Italian manager added with surprising honesty: “It can happen. I wake up many times during the night to go to the toilet. I hit my head, my legs, my everything, so it can happen. He was very close. He was back with us almost with the groin and it’s very good news, and then, again, he had this small problem.”
Major Boost For Arsenal
For Arsenal fans, this is welcome news ahead of what promises to be a crucial period. With the Gunners sitting top of the Premier League with a four-point advantage, avoiding Palmer’s creativity will be a significant advantage.
Arsenal have their own injury concerns heading into the festive period, but Chelsea losing their best player couldn’t have come at a better time for the title race.
Chelsea Coping Without Palmer
Supporters had expected to be told that Palmer had returned to training. Instead, they received news of perhaps the most bizarre injury setback of the season.
Chelsea have coped relatively well without their playmaker, winning eight of the 11 games they’ve played since he picked up his groin injury. However, they had been aiming to have him back and available for the visit of Barcelona in a seismic Champions League showdown next Tuesday.
There is now no set timeline on Palmer’s return, with Maresca only confirming that he will definitely miss this week and next week at minimum.
“The problem is that it’s a small toe, so the contact with the boots can be painful,” Maresca explained. “The team-mates are better players with Cole playing. I feel much better when Cole is on the pitch, and we all want Cole on the pitch.”
Arsenal’s Title Charge Continues
While Chelsea struggle with freak accidents, Arsenal are preparing for the North London Derby with Martin Odegaard potentially returning and attacking reinforcements on the way back.
Palmer’s absence from the Chelsea fixture will be a huge relief for Arsenal’s title aspirations. Every advantage counts in a season this tight.