Cole Palmer has been ruled out of Chelsea's last four matches with a groin injury and the Blues are optimistic that the England international will not need surgery on the issue
Chelsea's star man Cole Palmer is not expected to go under the knife for his groin injury that has kept him out for the last four matches, with the prognosis being 'weeks and not months'.
Palmer, 23, has been grappling with this issue for a while now, having missed two games prior to the first international break after pulling out during the warm-up against West Ham. He made a triumphant return against Brentford in September, coming off the bench to score his first goal of the season.
After starting and scoring at Bayern Munich in the Champions League, it seemed as though Palmer was on the mend, until he was substituted early on against Manchester United.
Post-match, Enzo Maresca revealed that Palmer was not fully fit and he hasn't played since, missing the Carabao Cup tie at Lincoln City, the Champions League home game against Benfica, and the Premier League double-header against Brighton and Liverpool.
Despite concerns that Palmer has been experiencing a recurrence of the same groin problem, the Daily Mail reports that it has been decided his injury isn't severe enough to warrant surgery and that he should be sidelined for several weeks, rather than months.
The exact duration of Palmer's absence remains undisclosed, but there is optimism that he won't be out long-term as Chelsea gear up for another hectic period in the football calendar.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have made a series of key decisions ahead of the January transfer window, including ruling out a move for AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan. They are ultimately happy with Robert Sanchez for the time being.
The Blues are also set to keep Emanuel Emegha at Stamford Bridge next summer following an agreement with sister club Strasbourg last month, and as a result, January will be quiet, with Chelsea not planning on making any moves.
In addition, Geovany Quenda won't be joining the club until next summer, despite making a big impression in Portugal with Sporting CP.
Chelsea return to action after the international break with a trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, October 18, before hosting Ajax in the Champions League and then facing Sunderland at home.
The Blues sit seventh in the Premier League table after seven matches, winning three and drawing two of them. A much-needed 2-1 success against Liverpool came on Saturday for Maresca's side.
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