Cole Palmer injury: Chelsea star faces anxious wait ahead of Arsenal clash

Chelsea superstar Cole Palmer is set to undergo a scan on his left knee ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League clash against Arsenal next weekend.

The England international was on the receiving end of a poor challenge by Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez on Sunday, with the 22-year-old left limping after the full-time whistle at Old Trafford.

Chelsea are hopeful that Palmer hasn’t suffered significant damage, but he will undergo a scan in order to determine the severity of the injury, as per The Telegraph’s Matt Law.

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Palmer wasn’t included in Chelsea’s group stage squad for the Europa Conference League, meaning he will play no part in their home match against Armenian side Noah on Thursday.

However, Chelsea are hoping he will be fit enough to start against Arsenal on Sunday.

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Should Lisandro Martinez have been sent off for Cole Palmer challenge?

Martinez’s rash challenge on Palmer caught the Blues star on his left knee, with VAR determining the incident wasn’t severe enough to warrant a red card.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, on the other hand, believes Martinez should’ve been sent off. “They showed me before the press conference, I think it is quite clear for all of us,” Maresca told reporters after the game.

“The referee is there to make a decision, he took a different decision. For me, when there is no intention to go for the ball and just the player, it’s a red.”

Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett also believes Martinez was fortunate to walk away with only a yellow card.

“That for me was a clear and obvious error [Martinez receiving a yellow card] and VAR should have asked the referee to go and review the incident on the pitch-side monitor,” he wrote in his column for The Telegraph.

“We have seen a lot of yellow cards this season but the laws, which were penned to protect players by issuing red cards, should be enforced when appropriate.

“It was the type of tackle that can end a player’s career. The Professional Game Match Officials Ltd should be more rigorous in enforcing this policy.”

Palmer has seven goals and five assists in 10 Premier League appearances so far this season, while his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) now stands at just shy of €80 million.

By contrast, his ETV was less than €20m when he joined Chelsea from Manchester City last summer.