Cole Palmer remains a doubt for Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Tottenham next week as he has still not returned to full training.
The 22-year-old is still suffering with the muscular problem which saw him miss Chelsea’s defeat to Arsenal last time out.
He was named in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad but could not be involved due to the issue and missed the wins over Albania and Latvia.
The forward was expected to return when the Blues host Spurs on Thursday April 3 but there are lingering doubts over whether that will happen or not.
The Daily Mail report that Palmer is yet to train with his teammates since picking up the injury and while those not away on international duty have been training at Cobham, the former Manchester City man has not been involved.
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Clearly there is still time for Palmer to prove his fitness, with the match the best part of a week away, but Enzo Maresca will want to see him back in training as soon as possible.
Palmer is not only dealing with injury but also his first dip in form since joining from City in the summer of 2023.
His move to Stamford Bridge has been a stunning success for him but he has hit something of a drought in front of goal for the first time, last netting on January 14 against Bournemouth.
10 games have passed since he last scored and the muscle injury has only extended the dry spell.
Maresca has downplayed Palmer’s struggles, saying last month: ‘It’s normal. It’s like a team. You cannot expect Cole Palmer, every season or every game, to be like last season or like the first part of the season. It’s normal, it’s something normal.
‘He’s a human being, he’s missing some things and now it’s how we react. So I was telling him that. Everything is normal. He’s happy, he’s okay.
‘I’ve said already that he has been lucky in his career, even if he is young, because he’s shared moments, changing rooms, with top players.
‘He knows that any top players go through bad moments.
‘It’s how you react. Keep calm, keep working, keep laughing. Be calm, be happy, enjoy the football. It’s the only thing you have to do.’
While Palmer remains a doubt for next week, Nicolas Jackson is expected to be involved after missing two months through injury.
The striker is back in training after a hamstring injury and should at least be on the bench against Spurs.
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