Manager Marc Cucurella has hinted that Chelsea teammate Cole Palmer broke his toe while playing EA Sports FC 26. The England international had been out since September with a groin problem and was close to making a return, but last week it was revealed Enzo Maresca had suffered a new toe injury that would prevent him from playing any more games. It was later determined that Palmer had hit the little toe of his left foot on a door while he was at home.
And Cucurella said Palmer, who was scheduled to return to training the next day after a two-month absence, was playing a video game when the problem arose. “To be fair, I couldn’t believe it. I don’t know exactly[what happened]. I think he’s running because he thinks he lost a FIFA game or something.”
He added: “It’s true that things like this happen sometimes. We’ve had a few times like that, but I don’t feel anything because I’m stronger than them! It’s a big upset for us, because he played with us and almost trained with us. Now he needs to rest.”
“But it’s part of life, it’s part of football. We have personal lives and we have these kinds of problems. Hopefully he recovers quickly.”
Manager Enzo Maresca confirmed that Palmer has returned to the grass and is expected to return soon. However, the Italian player could not reveal the exact date of the playmaker’s return to the pitch. The Blues host Barcelona in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge this Tuesday, before facing Premier League leaders Arsenal five days later.
Palmer will be sidelined for both games, but Maresca said, “Well, I don’t know when that will be, but it’s definitely going to be soon. He’s already been on the field and touched the ball and he’s feeling good.”
The Chelsea manager also answered a question about whether Palmer would be eligible for this weekend’s London derby. “We’re here for tomorrow’s game and then we’ll look at the game against Arsenal,” he said.
“The last time I spoke to Cole was after yesterday’s session to check on him, but I never asked him about the details of his injury.”
Maresca also admitted that next week is crucial for the team. He said: “As you said, this is a big week, but this weekend we play Leeds away, Bournemouth away and Atalanta, so it’s another big week.
“Every game is worth three points. Tomorrow against Barcelona and Sunday against Arsenal are important for different reasons, but for us it is important to win every game.”
Maresca said before the weekend’s win over Burnley that Palmer would miss both games against Arsenal and Barcelona. He said: “Cole won’t be available tomorrow, no, he definitely won’t be playing in this game, and of course he won’t be playing for Barcelona or Arsenal.”
“Unfortunately, he had an accident at home two days ago and hit his toe. It’s broken. Unfortunately, things like this can happen. It’s not that serious, but it’s causing pain in his little toe and he’s definitely going to be out this week and next week.”
“He almost came back to us with a groin problem, which is very good, but then he had a toe problem and that set him back. It’s not a big problem, but he needs a little more time to recover.”
Palmer has missed all of Chelsea’s last 12 competitive games. His most recent appearance was against Manchester United at Old Trafford, where he was sent off after just 20 minutes.
Palmer also missed the final two games before the September international break due to a groin problem. He played in the next three games, scoring his first two goals of the season during that period, before going down with groin pain.
