Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has suggested that England forward Cole Palmer may not require groin surgery after being forced off during Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Manchester United.
Palmer, 23, made only two Premier League starts this season and lasted just 21 minutes at Old Trafford before limping off. Speaking to reporters, Maresca said:
“The medical staff didn’t mention to me about surgery. I don’t know if in the next days or the next weeks, but I don’t think so, to be honest. He made a huge effort on Saturday to try to play the game. He did the test and he was OK, but not 100 percent. But he wanted to be there to help his teammates.”
The manager added that Palmer’s recovery will be assessed on a “day-by-day, week-by-week, game-by-game” basis.
Chelsea are expected to be without Palmer for their League Cup third-round tie against third-tier Lincoln on Tuesday, with Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile also ruled out.
Maresca indicated he may field several youth academy players for the cup fixture but acknowledged the risk of an upset. “These are the games that worry me most, because you can slip up very easily,” he said. “Football is full of these kinds of games, and I am very worried about that.”
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