Chelsea medics make Cole Palmer injury call as ‘four transfer decisions’ reached

Cole Palmer has been ruled out of Chelsea’s last four matches with a groin injury and the Blues are optimistic that the England international will not need surgery on the issue

Chelsea’s star man Cole Palmer is not expected to go under the knife for his groin injury that has kept him out for the last four matches, with the prognosis being ‘weeks and not months’.

Palmer, 23, has been grappling with this issue for a while now, having missed two games prior to the first international break after pulling out during the warm-up against West Ham. He made a triumphant return against Brentford in September, coming off the bench to score his first goal of the season.

After starting and scoring at Bayern Munich in the Champions League, it seemed as though Palmer was on the mend, until he was substituted early on against Manchester United.

READ MORE: Chelsea and Arsenal get clear £78m message from Juventus as agent’s meeting emergesREAD MORE: Frank Lampard’s opinion as Chelsea ace causes Paul Scholes and Gary Neville disagreement

Post-match, Enzo Maresca revealed that Palmer was not fully fit and he hasn’t played since, missing the Carabao Cup tie at Lincoln City, the Champions League home game against Benfica, and the Premier League double-header against Brighton and Liverpool.

Despite concerns that Palmer has been experiencing a recurrence of the same groin problem, the Daily Mail reports that it has been decided his injury isn’t severe enough to warrant surgery and that he should be sidelined for several weeks, rather than months.

The exact duration of Palmer’s absence remains undisclosed, but there is optimism that he won’t be out long-term as Chelsea gear up for another hectic period in the football calendar.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have made a series of key decisions ahead of the January transfer window, including ruling out a move for AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan. They are ultimately happy with Robert Sanchez for the time being.

The Blues are also set to keep Emanuel Emegha at Stamford Bridge next summer following an agreement with sister club Strasbourg last month, and as a result, January will be quiet, with Chelsea not planning on making any moves.

In addition, Geovany Quenda won’t be joining the club until next summer, despite making a big impression in Portugal with Sporting CP.

Chelsea return to action after the international break with a trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, October 18, before hosting Ajax in the Champions League and then facing Sunderland at home.

The Blues sit seventh in the Premier League table after seven matches, winning three and drawing two of them. A much-needed 2-1 success against Liverpool came on Saturday for Maresca’s side.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.

If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

£43

£35

Sky

Get the deal here

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.