Cole Palmer Injury Update: Latest Details, Recovery Timeline and Impact on Team

Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer was ruled out of the Blues' starting eleven against their opponents, West Ham, despite having been named in the squad list earlier. The Englishman reportedly suffered an injury during the pre-match warmup, and Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca confirmed his change to the lineup with Estevao Willian being named in the lineup. This marked his first start at the club in only his second match in the Premier League. The Brazilian appeared off the bench during Chelsea's 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace in the first match and showed positive signs of his capabilities.

Cole Palmer Injury Details

Chelsea were dealt a hammer blow moments before their match against West Ham when Cole Palmer was withdrawn from the squad. As expected, he was named in the original line-up against the Hammers. Even though he was involved in the team's warm-up at the London Stadium, he went down the tunnel early. Later, the Blues confirmed that he was withdrawn from the matchday squad. He was quiet on the first matchday, and the fans were hoping to see more of him in this match, but he was taken out from the starting eleven just to avoid any major injury setback. Enzo Maresca had this to say on Cole Palmer's injury: “He said Cole Palmer felt something. He wouldn't be drawn on exactly what he felt. He said he felt something. It's precautionary. We didn't want to risk it.”

How does Cole Palmer's injury affect Chelsea

Chelsea's matter was made worse after Estevao, who replaced Palmer in the lineup, gave the ball away inside his own half, which helped Lucas Paqueta put West Ham 1-0 up within six minutes with a stunning strike. The Brazilian carried the ball towards the penalty area looking for options instead he decided to fire one into the top right corner from 25 yards, leaving Robert Sanchez with no chance of saving it. However, the Blues responded quickly within 9 minutes. Joao Pedro got o?n the end of Marc Cucurella's flick to score the equaliser, and he then went on to provide an assist to Pedro Neto. Estevao rectified his mistake in the first half when he crossed the ball towards Enzo Fernandes for a simple tap-in to give Chelsea a 3-1 lead. The Blues added to their lead when Caicedo made it 4-1. Chalobah capitalized on consecutive errors from the keeper to make it 5-1, which even saw some of the West Ham fans leave the stadium. Palmer's absence would definitely be a setback for Chelsea, but looking at this performance from Chelsea, and with the likes of Joao Pedro and Estevao, it's safe to say Chelsea can manage to win games. Fans will be keeping their fingers crossed that Palmer's injury isn't anything too serious.

When will Cole Palmer Return to Action?

Cole Palmer of course needs to protected, he has been Chelsea's star player over the past two Premier League seasons, scoring 37 goals and providing 19 assists. He came out and sat on the bench in a puffer jacket, looking sunken as he watched his teammates come out onto the pitch. Chelsea would not rush Cole Palmer's return as they face Fulham at Stamford Bridge on 30 August before the first international break of the season. Looking at the schedule, it makes more sense to protect him at all costs and avoid playing him next week, give him some rest and time to recover to come back after the International break. So, Chelsea might miss him in the next game and it also depends on the severity of his injury.