The Blues' talisman is already facing a short spell on the sidelines after a strenuous summer where he was overworked in the pursuit of silverware
There was always a sense that Chelsea's Club World Cup triumph would come back to bite them at some stage, with fatigue and injuries potentially the biggest obstacles on the road to a successful season. Few, however, would have predicted it would be so soon.
With the new campaign a little over a week old, the Blues are already sweating on the fitness of their key player Cole Palmer, who, it transpires, has been carrying a groin injury ever since the tournament in the United States.
They will pray that the problem is nothing serious, but there is little doubt that Chelsea are already paying the price for their summer success in gruelling conditions, and if they aren't careful, this could be a recurring theme throughout what was supposed to be a season where they re-established themselves among England and Europe's elite.
AFPPlaying through the pain
Rather concerningly, this is an injury that Palmer has been carrying for some time, which means it may well have been exacerbated by Chelsea going all the way at the Club World Cup and the scaled-back pre-season that followed, with the gruelling summer tournament only reaching its conclusion in mid-July.
Following his last-minute withdrawal before the thumping victory over West Ham on Friday, apparently after painkillers failed to have the desired effect, head coach Enzo Maresca admitted his talisman had already been playing through the pain barrier in the season opener against Crystal Palace five days prior, where the attacker was criticised for a subdued performance in the goalless draw. The decision to start him there deserves some scrutiny if Palmer's absence proves to be a lengthy one.
"Cole in the last four or five days was not 100 per cent,” the Italian tactician revealed. "He tried the warm-up but he felt something. We preferred not to take any risks. We will see if it's something important or not. [It's in the] groin. For the Crystal Palace game, he was not 100% but he tried to make a big effort for the club, the fans and the team. He tried tonight, but it was not very good."
AdvertisementGettyWorst-case scenario
Palmer was underwent a scan on Tuesday, although it remains to be seen when the results of those tests will be revealed with Chelsea not due to play again until Saturday lunchtime when they host neighbours Fulham, by which time eight days will have passed since he pulled out of the West Ham clash.
According to Chelsea reporter , the attacker could be sidelined for up to six weeks, although there is optimism that his layoff will be shorter and that he might even be available immediately after the upcoming pause for World Cup qualifying action.
Although England almost certainly won't have Palmer at their disposal, Chelsea will consider the international break to be well-timed as their players prepare to disperse after the Fulham game. However, their key man could still miss Premier League clashes against Brentford, Manchester United and Brighton in September, while the Blues will be desperate to have him available for the visit of champions Liverpool on Saturday, October 4, in just under six weeks' time.
Having played such a key role in getting the club there, the 23-year-old may also miss out on the Blues' first two fixtures back in the Champions League in mid- and late September, as well as the third round of the Carabao Cup.
Getty Images SportNear ever-present
Whatever the result of the scan, this injury is a crushing blow for Chelsea at such an early stage of a season that had offered renewed hope. It's common knowledge that Palmer has been a revelation since joining the Blues less than two years ago, emerging as a creative and goal-scoring force, but his durability is an underrated attribute.
Since his arrival from Manchester City, you can count the number of games he has missed at club level on one hand; in 2023-24 he only missed the 5-0 defeat at Arsenal through illness, and there was some strange symmetry last season as he sat out the same fixture due to a hamstring problem.
His international record is strangely more patchy; after being sidelined for two England games following the defeat at the Emirates in March, Palmer has only featured in three of his country's last 10 games, having withdrawn from two squads during Lee Carsley's interim reign following Euro 2024, and he is now set to miss another camp.
The attacker's club might think the international break comes at a good time, but this could still be his longest absence since joining Chelsea, and his most significant since a serious foot injury he suffered during his time at City in 2022.
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AFPPaying the price
There is little doubt that this is an injury that Palmer could have avoided or would have been less severe if it wasn't for Chelsea's run to unexpected glory at the Club World Cup, where the 23-year-old was their hero once again as he dismantled European champions Paris Saint-Germain almost singlehandedly in the final. Ironically, it was a performance that led to much of the optimism around Stamford Bridge at the start of the new season, which has now been diminished in light of Palmer's setback.
Despite the west Londoners often coming up against relatively weaker opposition in the U.S., Palmer was only rested for the clash against Morocco's Esperance – clocking up more than 550 minutes in six games over the course of just under a month. It is believed that this groin problem flared up at some point during the tournament, where matches were invariably played in excruciating and physically draining heat and humidity.
It's easy to forget that he was involved in the completely misguided post-season England camp in June, too, needlessly playing in what should have been a routine win over Andorra before warming the bench against Senegal.
In normal circumstances, Palmer would have had ample time in pre-season to recover, but going all the way at the Club World Cup has come at a cost. After the final on July 13, the squad was afforded just three weeks off before reporting back for training in early August as part of their scaled-back warm-up plans, with Palmer playing more than 100 minutes across their two friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan on the same weekend when, evidently, he wasn't fully fit.