Chelsea’s Cole Palmer Sidelined by Bizarre Toe Injury Ahead of Key Fixtures
Chelsea’s plans for a long-awaited attacking boost took an unexpected turn this week, after Cole Palmer suffered what club staff privately described as an “astonishingly unfortunate” setback inside his own home.The England international, who had been primed for full training at Cobham on Thursday following his recovery from a groin injury sustained on 20 September, fractured the little toe on his left foot after stubbing it against a door. The mishap has ruled him out of Chelsea’s looming double-header against Barcelona and Arsenal, a sequence of fixtures for which he had been carefully prepared.Enzo Maresca, speaking with a mixture of exasperation and realism during Friday morning’s briefing, confirmed that Palmer would not feature in any of the upcoming matches. The coach noted the oddness of the situation, one that briefly cast a hush over the room. Palmer, he said, had been “very close” to a return.“He was back with us almost with the groin, and it’s very good news,” Maresca said, pausing as though weighing the cruelty of timing. “And then again, he had this small problem. Hopefully it is nothing important.”Club sources told Football. London that a specially-adapted protective boot has now been produced to stabilize the injury and help accelerate Palmer’s recovery. Adjusting the interior of the boot in cases involving the little toe is considered standard medical practice, and Chelsea’s medical staff believe it could allow Palmer to step onto the grass again as early as next week. Should that happen, he may rejoin full training before the congested run of winter fixtures presses in.Palmer’s absence, now stretching beyond two months, has spanned 11 matches across competitions. Chelsea have held up impressively in that period, collecting eight wins, two draws, and a single defeat, yet Maresca made no secret of the gulf left behind by his most incisive play maker.“I think the teammates are better players with Cole playing.
| 2025-11-21 20:37:02