Evening Standard: Palmer returns, Chelsea without key players against Manchester United

Chelsea will be without several key players for Saturday's early Premier League kick-off against Manchester United, as the Evening Standard reports.

Chelsea played in the League Cup on Wednesday night and were knocked out by Liverpool after a thrilling penalty shootout.

In that match, Chelsea suffered new injury concerns, with Maxence Lacroix forced off before half-time.

Key forward João Pedro remains sidelined, as do E. Martinez, Reece James, and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.

The good news for Chelsea fans is that key player Cole Palmer has served his one-match suspension after being sent off against Tottenham.

Here's the latest on Chelsea's injury news and return dates.

João Pedro's leg injury is expected to keep him out for "a few weeks," with hopes of returning after the November international break.

The Brazilian was injured in training before the Tottenham match, forcing manager Xabi Alonso to play Morgan Rogers as a makeshift striker, with Chelsea eventually losing 2-0.

This is not João Pedro's first injury of the season; last month, he missed the match against Brentford due to a knee problem. The 26-year-old forward also saw a specialist during the last international break.

Before the Liverpool match, Alonso provided an update: "He has a leg injury and will be out for a few weeks.

"We'll have to see how many weeks. We don't want to jump to conclusions now, but he won't be available for the upcoming games."

This gave fans more information than initially available. After the loss to Tottenham, Alonso said: "We don't know yet because he has a lot of fluid.

"He felt discomfort yesterday, and we might have to wait until tomorrow for a scan to understand the full situation and the severity of the injury. We'll know soon."

Expected return date: Saturday, November 21, home against Leeds United.

Chelsea were without Emiliano Martínez against Tottenham, with substitute goalkeeper Mike Penders conceding in his first Premier League start.

Arrizabalaga replaced Martínez away at Everton the previous weekend after the latter suffered a fractured jaw in a heavy collision. Martínez will be out for several more weeks after undergoing surgery.

Before the Tottenham match, Alonso said: "Damian is getting better. He's had his surgery and is recovering every day, but we still have to wait."

"A few weeks, hopefully less than a few weeks, but we'll have to wait and see."

"The good news is he's feeling better and better. We have to listen to how he feels, and also to the doctors, specialists, and surgeons. Considering it was a serious injury, he's recovering well."

On Saturday, Martínez was in good spirits watching his teammates play Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.

Left-back Pep Chavarría was injured in training a few weeks ago, and it was hoped he would be fit for Wednesday night's League Cup match against Liverpool.

He was withdrawn from the squad list before the match away at Everton two weeks ago, and has now resumed partial training with the squad.

"Pep is doing a bit more training, but he won't make the Tottenham game," Alonso said before last weekend.

Expected return date: Saturday, November 2, away at Manchester United.

Maxence Lacroix has been a regular for Chelsea this season and was given a starting opportunity against Liverpool but could not complete the first half.

He went down suddenly after tracking Cody Gakpo and was immediately substituted, with visible concern on his face.

After the match, Alonso said: "It's too early to tell. It might be a hamstring issue. We'll need a few more days to examine it and know exactly what the injury is."

Reece James has been sidelined with a knee problem, becoming one of Chelsea's long-term absentees.

Before the international break, he also experienced a hamstring issue, which initially caused concern that it would prevent him from joining the England squad.

When the Chelsea captain returned to Cobham training ground to resume training, he injured his knee again. Initially considered a short-term problem, Reece James missed the win over AFC Bournemouth as a result, before a specialist recommended surgery as the best option.

Chelsea described the surgery as "minor," but it is understood that Reece James will keep Alonso without his services for approximately three months.

Academy graduates Colwill and midfielder Caicedo have both worn the captain's armband in Reece James's absence.

Bynoe-Gittens twisted his ankle while playing for England U21s. Shortly after the European Championship qualifier against Kazakhstan, he was photographed on crutches at Molineux.

After returning to Cobham for assessment, Alonso gave Bynoe-Gittens's return timeline as "a few weeks," which was consistent with his assessment before the win over Everton.