Chelsea fans will have to wait longer for Cole Palmer’s return. The forward suffered a new setback on Wednesday night. He fractured a toe in an accident at home.

Palmer was nearing a full return to training. He had been out for two months with a groin problem. Now, the 23-year-old faces a fresh issue. He stubbed the small toe on his left foot against a door at home. This incident delays his comeback for at least another week.

Impact on Upcoming Fixtures

This new injury means Palmer will miss several key matches. He is ruled out of Saturday’s Premier League trip to Burnley. He will also miss Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Barcelona. Furthermore, he won’t feature in the Stamford Bridge encounter with Arsenal next weekend.

Manager Enzo Maresca Reacts

Manager Enzo Maresca confirmed Palmer’s unavailability to reporters. “He is probably not available for Saturday, Barcelona, or Arsenal,” Maresca stated. He explained the unfortunate incident. “He had an accident at home, hitting his toe,” Maresca said. “It is not a major injury, but he won’t be back next week.” The manager empathized, saying, “I wake up many times at night. I hit my head, my legs, everything. So it can happen.”

Chelsea’s Form Without Palmer

Palmer last played on September 20th. That was Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United. Despite his long absence, the Blues have maintained good form. They have won eight of their last eleven matches. This strong run has seen them climb to third in the Premier League table.

Maresca acknowledged how much the team misses Palmer. “His teammates are better players with Cole on the pitch,” the manager observed. “I feel much better when Cole is playing, and we all want him there.” He added that the team must adapt without him. “When Cole is not on the pitch, we need to find solutions,” Maresca stated. “The team is performing well, but we are better with Cole. He was almost back with us.”

Other Team Updates

Good news for Chelsea concerns other key players. Enzo Fernandez, Pedro Neto, and Benoit Badiashile will all be available for the Burnley match.

Maresca also updated on Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi. These players remain outside the main squad, often termed the “bomb squad”. Disasi trained with the Under-21s and had a session during the international break. However, Maresca confirmed their status is unchanged. “Axel and Raheem are Chelsea players,” he said. “Axel is currently assisting the second team and younger players.” Maresca explained, “During the international break, we had few senior players. We needed some second-team players then. Axel participated in some sessions with them, but only one with our senior squad.”