Chelsea are set to welcome Cole Palmer back into their starting lineup as the striker, who has been sidelined for over 10 weeks due to a recurring groin problem, is confirmed to be fit and available for Sunday's Premier League clash against Arsenal.
The 22-year-old forward suffered an injury at home last month when he broke his toe in an accident. He then returned to training later than initially planned, but has only managed two starts this season, with the majority of that time spent on the bench. Palmer scored a goal in a Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich just before his injury, and has not completed 90 minutes since then.
Manager Enzo Maresca was thrilled to confirm that Palmer is available for selection for the visit of Arsenal, who are currently top of the Premier League table. "He's available for both," Maresca said when asked if Palmer would feature on Sunday and if he were ready from the start. "Good news for both. Everyone is happy [he is back]. The most important thing is that Cole is happy."
Palmer's return to action could be just what Chelsea need, particularly in a match against one of their biggest rivals. The Blues have struggled against Arsenal in recent years, winning just one of their last 11 Premier League games against the Gunners and failing to win any of their seven matches against them since August 2021.
Despite this, Maresca remains optimistic about his team's chances, saying: "It's too early to worry about that. We're six months away from February and March, and then we'll see what we can achieve." Chelsea have already shown signs of improvement in big games, beating Liverpool and Barcelona without Palmer this season.
Maresca is also excited about the prospect of pairing Palmer with Brazilian hotshot Estevao, who scored a goal against Barcelona last week. The manager believes that the partnership could be "fireworks," and he's eager to see how they'll work together on the pitch. With Chelsea struggling to create chances in big games, Maresca is hoping that Palmer and Estevao will provide the spark needed to take his team to the next level.
The visit of Arsenal will provide a perfect test for Chelsea's new-look attacking lineup, which could potentially be spearheaded by the partnership of Palmer and Estevao. If they can replicate their performances against Liverpool and Barcelona, then Maresca may have finally found the missing piece in the puzzle that has been plaguing his team all season.
In the end, it remains to be seen whether Palmer will indeed start for Chelsea on Sunday, but one thing is certain: his return could be a game-changer for the Blues.
The 22-year-old forward suffered an injury at home last month when he broke his toe in an accident. He then returned to training later than initially planned, but has only managed two starts this season, with the majority of that time spent on the bench. Palmer scored a goal in a Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich just before his injury, and has not completed 90 minutes since then.
Manager Enzo Maresca was thrilled to confirm that Palmer is available for selection for the visit of Arsenal, who are currently top of the Premier League table. "He's available for both," Maresca said when asked if Palmer would feature on Sunday and if he were ready from the start. "Good news for both. Everyone is happy [he is back]. The most important thing is that Cole is happy."
Palmer's return to action could be just what Chelsea need, particularly in a match against one of their biggest rivals. The Blues have struggled against Arsenal in recent years, winning just one of their last 11 Premier League games against the Gunners and failing to win any of their seven matches against them since August 2021.
Despite this, Maresca remains optimistic about his team's chances, saying: "It's too early to worry about that. We're six months away from February and March, and then we'll see what we can achieve." Chelsea have already shown signs of improvement in big games, beating Liverpool and Barcelona without Palmer this season.
Maresca is also excited about the prospect of pairing Palmer with Brazilian hotshot Estevao, who scored a goal against Barcelona last week. The manager believes that the partnership could be "fireworks," and he's eager to see how they'll work together on the pitch. With Chelsea struggling to create chances in big games, Maresca is hoping that Palmer and Estevao will provide the spark needed to take his team to the next level.
The visit of Arsenal will provide a perfect test for Chelsea's new-look attacking lineup, which could potentially be spearheaded by the partnership of Palmer and Estevao. If they can replicate their performances against Liverpool and Barcelona, then Maresca may have finally found the missing piece in the puzzle that has been plaguing his team all season.
In the end, it remains to be seen whether Palmer will indeed start for Chelsea on Sunday, but one thing is certain: his return could be a game-changer for the Blues.
It's like, he's been gone for ages and everyone's been missing him so much 
But at the same time, I feel bad for him because groin problems are super painful 
And now that he's back, it's going to be awesome to see him on the pitch again 
I love how excited the gaffer is about pairing him with Estevao too 
It's like a match made in heaven! 
But, like, can they please just win against Arsenal already? 
We've been waiting for so long and it's getting kinda frustrating 
They've been struggling to create chances in big games, and having him alongside Estevao could be just what they need 
I mean, Estevao's been scoring goals left and right, and if they can get Palmer back up to speed, that partnership could be unstoppable 
Cole Palmer's back and that's good news for Chelsea 
️
. With his pace and finishing skills, he could be just what Chelsea need to take down Arsenal this Sunday 
. One thing's for sure, though - this match has all the makings of an epic showdown between two top Premier League teams 
! Finally! He's been out for ages and I'm so over the hype around this guy. Like, I get it, he scored a goal in the Champions League, but that's not exactly a guarantee of greatness 
.
. They've had some decent performances in big games, but that's just one win out of three and I'd love to see more consistency 
he's been struggling with that groin problem and it's not easy to come back from. The fact that Enzo Maresca is hyped about his return says a lot – trust me when I say Maresca knows what he's talking about 
. Enzo Maresca's optimism about pairing him up with Estevao sounds legit, those two could create some magic on the pitch 
I'm so done with Chelsea's lack of consistency this season! They need Cole Palmer back ASAP, not just because he's a fresh face up front but also to give them some much-needed creativity in attack 
He's been missing some big games too, so this is just in time. Enzo Maresca seems really positive about his return and pairing him with Estevao could be a great move 
We've seen Chelsea struggle to create chances against top teams, but if Palmer can make an impact like he did before, that would be amazing 
6 months away from feb & march, let's see if they can keep the momentum going 
. Chelsea definitely need some magic on the pitch, and if Palmer can bring that, they might just give Arsenal a run for their money 
. On a serious note though, Maresca seems optimistic about this new partnership between Palmer and Estevao, and if it clicks, we might just see some fireworks on the pitch 
!
. I mean, I know Maresca says everyone's happy, but let's not get ahead of ourselves 
. The Blues still have a lot of work to do before they can even think about being contenders in this league...