Cole Palmer’s injury leaves Chelsea reeling and puts world cup hopes in doubt

November 3, 2025 Oliver Obel

Palmer’s recurring problem has been brewing for months. Despite playing through pain in August and September, Chelsea continued to rely on the 23-year-old until the strain became unbearable.

Manager Enzo Maresca confirmed that his key playmaker faces another six weeks on the sidelines, missing at least nine crucial matches — including showdowns with Tottenham and Barcelona.

It’s a heavy price to pay for a player who has featured only four times this season. The Italian coach admitted that surgery is not yet required, but the club’s patience will be tested as the year’s decisive fixtures approach.

Summer overload

Much of the blame, insiders say, lies in Chelsea’s punishing summer schedule. Palmer was instrumental in the Blues’ surprise triumph at the Club World Cup, where he played more than 550 minutes in sweltering conditions — including a match-winning performance against Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

That workload, combined with a short three-week break before pre-season friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan, left little recovery time. By the time the Premier League began, Palmer’s body was already struggling to keep pace.

The situation was worsened by his unnecessary participation in England’s post-season camp in June, a decision now seen as reckless given his physical condition.

‘Bizarre, wrong, impossible’

Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin believes the injury was inevitable. “Cole Palmer is the same as everyone — he’s human,” Nevin told OLBG. “The physicality of what Chelsea players have gone through, it’s going to get to them. And it’s not a maybe, it’s a when, not if.”

He criticised the club’s condensed pre-season, saying: “Chelsea’s pre-season was two games in three days. It’s bizarre, it’s wrong, it’s impossible.”

Nevin predicted that the strain would catch up with players by November — a forecast that has proved painfully accurate.

Rushed return

Maresca’s eagerness to bring Palmer back quickly has drawn scrutiny. After being withdrawn minutes before Chelsea’s win over West Ham, Palmer returned to score vital goals against Brentford and Bayern Munich. But the quick succession of matches proved too much, and he broke down again just 21 minutes into the clash with Manchester United.

Initially, Maresca suggested Palmer would be fit by early November, but ahead of the Nottingham Forest match, he conceded: “I was wrong. Unfortunately, he needs to be out for probably six more weeks.”

The setback leaves Chelsea without their main creative spark during a period that could define their campaign.

World Cup setback

Palmer’s absence also jeopardises his England ambitions. Having missed both the September and October camps, he will now sit out November’s qualifiers as well. That means he will have played just 65 minutes for England in 2025 — a figure unlikely to impress national coach Thomas Tuchel.

Tuchel, who has emphasised consistency in selection, sounded a warning last month. “The most important thing is that he can play without pain,” he said. “The groin issue is dangerous to become chronic. We know his quality, but he has been unavailable in five of the last seven camps.”

With only two more international windows before the World Cup, Palmer’s spot in the squad is hanging by a thread.

Maresca’s dilemma

Chelsea’s manager now faces a major challenge. The Blues sit sixth in the Premier League, and injuries are piling up, with Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwill and Liam Delap also sidelined. Nevin says Maresca must manage his squad wisely: “He’s got a good enough squad for the top four, but how you keep it fit enough for top four — that’s what we need to find out.”

Maresca admits that replacing Palmer is nearly impossible. “He is one of the best in the Premier League,” the coach said. “We need different solutions because we don’t have another player like Cole. He is unique.”

For now, Chelsea’s creative hopes rest with Enzo Fernandez, Estevao, Alejandro Garnacho, Facundo Buonanotte and Jamie Gittens — a talented group but one that will need to gel fast to keep the Blues’ season alive.

Sources: BBC, Reuters, The Guardian, OLBG