Cole Palmer is set to make a potential return to Chelsea’s starting lineup for their upcoming Premier League derby against Crystal Palace on Sunday. The talented winger has been sidelined due to a minor thigh strain, missing Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Pafos in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Palmer, who played a pivotal role in Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Brentford last weekend, had started just his fourth full 90 minutes of the season, one marked by injury woes, particularly with a recurring groin issue. Despite this setback, the 21-year-old’s presence is being eagerly anticipated for Sunday’s match against Palace, with head coach Liam Rosenior providing a positive update on his recovery.
Rosenior Confident Palmer Will Be Ready for Palace
Rosenior described Palmer’s absence from the Pafos match as a “precautionary” measure, following what he described as a “really, really minor” discomfort during the Brentford game. “He felt something quite early in the game, so credit to him to keep going through it,” Rosenior said. “But I don’t want to risk any players at this stage, especially players of Cole’s quality.”
With Chelsea’s busy schedule, Rosenior is hopeful that Palmer will be ready to feature against Palace, adding that the winger had resumed training and that his reaction to the session would be assessed. “Cole is in a good place. He joined training today, which is really positive,” Rosenior noted.
However, not all players are expected to make a quick recovery. Filip Jorgensen, who was substituted at half-time during the Pafos match, will miss the Palace encounter. Though his injury turned out to be less serious than initially feared, Jorgensen will remain sidelined for this weekend’s fixture but could be available for Chelsea’s upcoming match against Napoli.
Meanwhile, the squad has seen a few health issues, with Estevao and Jamie Gittens recently recovering from illness. Both players had been affected by a flu outbreak that disrupted Chelsea’s plans. Rosenior expressed relief that the worst of the sickness seemed to be behind them, with the players gradually returning to full health.
