Which games Cole Palmer will miss as Enzo Maresca reveals big Chelsea blow
Enzo Maresca says Chelsea will “be a bit conservative” with Cole Palmer as he continues to struggle with a groin injury, revealing when the Blues star will return to action.
Palmer was taken off early on in Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United last weekend as Maresca made a number of other baffling substitutions besides, and ahead of the Blues clash against Brighton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, the Italian boss revealed the talismanic playmaker won’t return until after the next international break.
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Maresca said in his press conference: “We decided to protect Cole, so it doesn’t get worse in the injury. So we will rest him for the next two or three weeks until [after the] international break, to see if the rest means he can recover 100 per cent.
“It’s just managing the pain in his groin. The amount of games, this can happen. We try to be a bit conservative with him and hopefully he can be 100 per cent after the international break.”
It means Palmer will also miss the visits of Benfica and Liverpool to Stamford Bridge in a big blow for Chelsea, but Maresca vowed to “find solutions”, though it may not be possible to “rotate” as much as he would like with several other forward players also out injured.
“We’re going to find a different solution without Cole [Palmer].
“Last year [against Brighton] we had Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu out, Neto played as a No 9. He’s playing there, doing some good things.
“We’re going to find solutions.
“It’s a bit early to think this will define the season. It’s too early. The main things are growing and improving, this is important for me as the manager.
“We try always to rotate, that has to be the main target because of the amount of games and injuries.
“Sometimes you can’t rotate because the position doesn’t have the right numbers.
“If we have three games in a week we try to rotate, but some players have to play nearly every game.
“Unfortunately, we have seven or eight players out. Is this a consequence from last season? We don’t have the answers to that. But we’re going to try to adapt.”
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Enzo Fernandez will likely play in the more forward midfield position typically occupied by Palmer against Brighton and Maresca hailed the Argentinian as “an important player”.
He added: “Enzo can play in different positions for us. 90 per cent of games he’s an attacking midfielder, he’s very good in that position.
“He can have good moments and bad moments because of the amount of games. We played 64 games last season, it’s normal to drop the level at some point.
“It depends on the game plan [where he plays]. Enzo is an important player and we try to use him as much as we can.”
