Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says forward Cole Palmer is unlikely to require groin surgery after being forced off during Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Manchester United.
Palmer, 23, has made just two Premier League starts this season and lasted only 21 minutes at Old Trafford before limping from the pitch.
“The medical staff didn’t mention surgery to me,” Maresca told reporters. “I don’t know if in the next days or weeks, but I don’t think so, to be honest.”
Maresca explained that Palmer had made a significant effort to play despite not being fully fit. “He did the test and was OK, but not 100 percent. He wanted to help his teammates in that kind of game. Unfortunately, it was painful, so we decided to change him,” he said.
The Chelsea boss added that Palmer’s recovery will be monitored on a day-by-day, week-by-week basis.
Palmer is expected to miss Chelsea’s League Cup third-round tie against third-tier Lincoln City on Tuesday, with Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile also unavailable.
Maresca indicated he would likely turn to several youth academy players for the cup tie but acknowledged the risks. “These are the games that worry me most because you can slip up very easily,” he said.
He warned that cup matches can be unpredictable, particularly against teams performing well in lower leagues. “Football is full of these kinds of games, and I am very worried about that,” Maresca added.
Chelsea will now manage Palmer’s workload carefully as they aim to maintain squad fitness across multiple competitions.
