Cole Palmer has been sidelined for Chelsea’s Sunday clash with Crystal Palace after a minor thigh problem continued to trouble the attacking midfielder.
Chelsea named their starting line-up at 12:45pm, 75 minutes before the 2pm kickoff at Selhurst Park, and Palmer’s absence from the team sheet immediately raised eyebrows among fans and analysts.
Instead of calling on his star playmaker, Liam Rosenior opted for a midfield trio of Andrey Santos, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, with Estevao, Pedro Neto and Joao Pedro leading the attack.
As questions quickly spread across social media over Palmer’s omission, it was soon confirmed that the England international is still recovering from a lingering thigh issue.
Football.London’s Chelsea reporter Bobby Vincent provided clarity, stating: “Cole Palmer missing for #CFC today with a minor thigh injury. He trained over the past two days and the hope is that he’ll be available for the trip to Naples.”
Rosenior also addressed the situation in his pre-match interview with Sky Sports, explaining the cautious approach: “Unfortunately, Cole isn’t quite ready for this one. I’ve said before that we only want players involved when they’re fully fit.
“There’s no point taking risks in January with what we’re trying to achieve. He’s got a slight thigh niggle and isn’t at 100 per cent yet, but there’s a chance he could be available on Wednesday. Hopefully, he’ll be back by then.”
This marks the second game in a row that Palmer has missed, having also been absent from the squad for Chelsea’s midweek 1-0 win over Pafos at Stamford Bridge.
Rosenior had previously revealed that Palmer’s omission from that European fixture was due to ongoing thigh tightness, though he remained hopeful of a swift return.
Sunday’s derby against Palace appears to have come just a little too early for the 23-year-old, whose season has been disrupted by a series of minor injuries.
As a result, Palmer has managed only 12 Premier League appearances so far in what has been a frustrating campaign for both him and the club.
