Chelsea’s Cole Palmer will be out for another six weeks, manager Enzo Maresca confirmed on Friday.
The 23-year-old midfielder has not featured since Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United on September 20, when he was forced off midway through the first half. Maresca had earlier hoped Palmer would return after the international break, but that timeline has now changed.
“I was mistaken. Sadly, he’ll be out for about six more weeks,” Maresca told reporters.
The manager said Palmer’s recovery is progressing and that surgery won’t be necessary. “We’re doing everything we can to protect him. The most important thing is that he returns fully fit,” he added.
As Chelsea prepare to face Nottingham Forest, Maresca admitted it won’t be easy to replace one of the Premier League’s most creative players.
“We’ll need to adjust and find a different approach because there isn’t another player like Cole. He brings something special to the team,” he said.