Palmer To Miss Six More Weeks With Injury Raising Doubts Over World Cup Spot

Enzo Maresca has said Cole Palmer will miss different six weeks pinch a groin injury, raising doubts complete whether nan Chelsea guardant will beryllium capable to regain his England spot earlier nan 2026 World Cup.

Palmer, who has been unavailable during nan past 2 world breaks, has been struggling pinch his fittingness since nan commencement of nan play and has not played since limping disconnected against Manchester United past month. Chelsea person tried to negociate nan 23-year-old’s groin wounded pinch remainder and are assured it does not request room but Maresca has dashed hopes of his astir influential subordinate making a swift return.

“Unfortunately he needs to beryllium retired for different six weeks,” Chelsea’s caput coach said earlier his side’s travel to Nottingham Forest connected Saturday. “We effort to protect Cole arsenic overmuch arsenic we can. The astir important point is erstwhile he comes backmost he is afloat fit. The aesculapian unit are not magicians. We dream six weeks are enough.”

That timeframe intends that Thomas Tuchel will not beryllium capable to prime Palmer erstwhile England, who secured their spot astatine nan adjacent summer’s World Cup by beating Latvia this week, look Albania and Serbia adjacent month.

The threat for Palmer, who has made only 3 starts this season, is that he runs retired of clip to revive his world profession earlier nan World Cup. The erstwhile Manchester City subordinate has missed 5 of nan past 7 England camps and has played erstwhile for Tuchel since nan German was appointed arsenic nan caput coach.

Thomas Tuchel has spoken highly of Cole Palmer but has yet to spot overmuch of nan subordinate during his England camps. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/The FA/Getty Images

Although Tuchel said warmly astir Palmer astatine his squad announcement this period nan reality is that England are not short of options successful attacking midfield. Morgan Rogers has been starting astatine No 10 and title comes from Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White. Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden were near retired of this month’s squad moreover though they were fit.

Tuchel does not person galore opportunities to measure his options earlier naming his 26-man squad for nan tournament. He will dream that Palmer is disposable erstwhile England play warmup friendlies successful March, their last matches earlier nan action has to beryllium made.

Chelsea must besides property up without Palmer, whose absence could return successful convention games against Forest, Sunderland, Tottenham, Wolves, Burnley and Arsenal and Champions League games against Ajax, Qarabag and Barcelona. On a brighter statement for them, Reece James and Andrey Santos person returned to fitness. Maresca said that Benoît Badiashile will beryllium retired until December.