Cole Palmer has been left out of Chelsea’s matchday squad to face Crystal Palace on Sunday, with Liam Rosenior explaining the reasons for the decision before kick-off.
Cole Palmer will not feature in Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace (Image: Chris Lee – Chelsea FC, Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Cole Palmer will miss Chelsea’s game against Crystal Palace on Sunday due to a minor thigh problem. The Blues announced their team selection at 12.45pm on Sunday, an hour and 45 minutes before the 2pm kick-off against the Eagles at Selhurst Park.
However, Palmer’s name was not on the starting lineup or on the bench after that. Rather than using star players, Liam Roseniol opted to field a midfield trio of Andrei Santos, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandes, and a front three of Estebao, Pedro Neto and João Pedro.
While supporters questioned his absence on social media, it was confirmed that Palmer was still recovering from a thigh bruise. Football.London journalist Bobby Vincent reported: “Cole Palmer is absent from #CFC today with a minor thigh injury. He has trained for the last two days and we hope to be fit for the trip to Napoli.”
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Speaking to Sky Sports before kick-off, Rosenior said of Palmer: “Unfortunately for us, Cole is completely unfit for this game. As I said in the press conference earlier, we want to make sure all our players give 100 per cent.”
“There is no point in risking players in January for what we want to achieve. He has a little injury in his thigh and is not completely 100 per cent, but he has a chance on Wednesday. I hope he will be back by then.”
Palmer has now missed his second consecutive game and was also left out of the Blues’ 1-0 home win over Paphos in midweek. Rosenior revealed that his absence from that game was due to a “tightness” in his thigh, but suggested the manager expected the player to return soon.
However, Sunday’s match against Palace appears to have come too early for the English player to take part. The 23-year-old has struggled with his fitness throughout the season, making just 12 appearances in the Premier League so far.
Liam Rosenior will be without Cole Palmer against Crystal Palace (Image: Chelsea FC, Getty Images)
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Palmer battled groin issues early in the season, but suffered a broken toe in November that sidelined him for some time. This comes after reports emerged earlier this week that Palmer was linked with a surprise move to Manchester United amid allegations that he was unsettled in London.
The attacking midfielder, from Wythenshawe, is said to be feeling homesick in the capital. However, Rosenior was quick to deny speculation about Palmer’s situation earlier this week.
“I’ve talked to Cole a number of times and he seems very, very happy to be here. He’s a big part of our long-term plans and he’s an outstanding player,” he told the media.
“Every player goes through difficult periods in his career with injuries, but that doesn’t show his quality.”
After a short trip to Selhurst Park on Sunday, Chelsea will face Napoli at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Wednesday night as they aim to secure automatic qualification to the Champions League knockout stages.
The West London side currently sit in eighth place in the Europa League with four wins, one draw and two losses. However, with Barcelona, Sporting CP, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Atalanta all trailing them on goal difference, Chelsea may need a resounding win to seal a place in the top eight.
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