Cole Palmer's groin struggle deepens as Chelsea act to protect star forward

The issue first appeared during a rushed two-week pre-season in July, shortly after Palmer played a key role in helping the Blues win the FIFA Club World Cup.

The 22-year-old aggravated the problem in Chelsea's 2–1 defeat to Manchester United on 20 September, forcing him off early and ruling him out of England's recent international fixtures against Wales and Latvia.

Blues manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that surgery is not currently being considered, with the club prioritising rehabilitation and long-term recovery instead. 

"The medical staff haven't spoken to me about surgery," Maresca said. "I don't think that will be necessary, to be honest. Cole made a huge effort to try and play last weekend.

"He wanted to help his teammates, but he was not one hundred per cent fit. Now we will take it day by day and week by week."

Maresca added that Chelsea have decided to give Palmer extra time to recover fully. "We decided to protect Cole and not risk him too much," he explained, confirming that the forward will not feature before the end of October.

England manager Thomas Tuchel has also expressed concern about the nature of the injury, describing it as "chronic." He said, "That is concerning, of course. The most important thing is that he can play without pain and enjoy his football again.

"There was never any chance of including him in this squad."

Palmer is expected to miss Chelsea's upcoming matches against Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Ajax, and Sunderland, with an early November return being targeted, potentially for the London derby against Tottenham on 1 November. However, any further setbacks could delay that comeback.