Is Cole Palmer Playing for Chelsea Today? How to Watch Chelsea vs Fulham

Chelsea will have to cope without star man Cole Palmer when they host Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, August 30, 2025, in the Premier League. Head coach Enzo Maresca confirmed on Friday that Palmer is unavailable after aggravating a groin problem in the warm-up before last week’s draw against West Ham. The 23-year-old’s absence is a significant blow, with Maresca also revealing that he had spoken with England manager Thomas Tuchel ahead of Palmer’s omission from the national squad announced earlier in the day. “He is not available tomorrow, so he certainly has some problems. We need to see day by day when he can return,” Maresca told reporters, also confirming that Benoît Badiashile and Romeo Lavia remain sidelined.
Despite the setback, Chelsea enter the fixture as favourites, buoyed by a strong start to the 2025–26 season. The Blues have collected four points from their opening two league games, and their impressive home record gives them even more reason for confidence. Dating back to last season, Chelsea have won six of their last eight Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge and are currently on a nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions at home. Their recent performances underline the progress under Maresca: a thumping 5-1 win over West Ham, a solid draw against Crystal Palace, and notable preseason victories over European giants such as AC Milan (4-1), Bayer Leverkusen (2-0), and PSG (3-0 in the Club World Cup final).
Fulham, meanwhile, arrives with a mixed bag of results that highlight both their resilience and inconsistency. Marco Silva’s side have taken just two points from their first two Premier League matches, drawing against Manchester United and Brighton. However, the Cottagers have demonstrated their ability to grind out results in cup and friendly fixtures, with wins over Bristol City (2-0 in the EFL Cup second round), Eintracht Frankfurt (1-0), and Al Ittihad (4-2).
Silva’s only real fitness concern ahead of the clash appears to be Harry Wilson, who picked up a foot injury during the midweek win over Bristol City. The Wales international had impressed throughout pre-season, and his absence could be a significant miss. In brighter news, Silva welcomed back Antonee Robinson and Ryan Sessegnon against Manchester United, easing his left-back dilemma. There are also potential attacking changes, with Raúl Jiménez pushing to start after finding the net in the Carabao Cup, while Emile Smith Rowe could replace 18-year-old Josh King in midfield after scoring the equaliser versus United. Up front, Rodrigo Muniz led the line against United, but hopes to put his recent own goal behind him if selected again.
The key question will be how Fulham’s backline can cope with Chelsea’s attacking threats without Cole Palmer orchestrating play. The Blues have demonstrated greater fluidity in the final third, with Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernández stepping up creatively, while João Pedro continues to offer energy and movement up front. On the other hand, Fulham will lean on their compact structure, squad depth, and Silva’s tactical flexibility to frustrate bigger sides, hoping to capitalise on any Chelsea mistakes to snatch points at Stamford Bridge. With Palmer ruled out and Fulham juggling minor injury concerns of their own, the clash shapes up as a test of Chelsea’s depth and tactical maturity under Maresca. The Blues’ strong home form and sharp performances in recent weeks make them firm favourites, but Fulham’s knack for scrapping out results ensures this West London derby will be anything but straightforward.

How to Watch Chelsea vs Fulham - Live Streams & TV Channels

The Chelsea vs Fulham game will be streamed across various platforms in multiple countries. Here is how to watch Chelsea vs Fulham across various regions.

Chelsea vs Fulham Predicted Lineups

Here are Sportsdunia's Chelsea vs Fulham predicted Lineups:

Chelsea Predicted Lineup

Sanchez, James, Chalobah, Adarabioyo, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernández; Estêvão, Pedro, Neto; Delap.

Fulham Predicted Lineup

Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Lukić, Berge; Traoré, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Jiménez.

Chelsea vs Fulham Kick-Off Time

Here are the kick-off timings for Chelsea vs Fulham: