CHELSEA are sweating on news of Cole Palmer’s groin issue ahead of next week’s derby against Fulham.
Palmer limped out of the warm-up ahead of the Blues’ clash with London rivals West Ham and watched from the bench as Enzo Maresca’s side romped to a 5-1 win.
Chelsea head coach revealed the England star first felt the problem ahead of the home game against Crystal Palace on the opening weekend.
Maresca said: “Cole in the last four or five days was not 100%.
“He tried the warm-up, but he felt something. So we prefer not to take any risk to get worse and we’ll see in the next hours if it’s something important or not.
“The Palace game, he was not 100%. But he is trying to make a big effort for the club, for the team, for the fans.
“Against West Ham he tried again, but it was not very good.”
Despite the thrashing of the Hammers, Palmer’s injury is worrying new for Chelsea and for England boss Thomas Tuchel, who was at the London Stadium.
Tuchel will name his squad on Friday for the Three Lions’ World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia .
Chelsea will face Fulham in the lunchtime kick-off against Fulham on the following day and Palmer is a doubt to feature in both groups.
But for one night at least against West Ham, the Blues proved they are not “Cole Palmer FC”.
Maresca, who bristles whenever it is suggested Chelsea are a one-man team, said: “[To] the ones that say that we are just a Cole team: for sure, Cole is our best player, no doubt.
“For sure, when we have Cole, we are a much, much, much better team.
“But I think we already showed [we are not a just a Cole team] last year, in two or three months, where Cole, unfortunately for us, was not 100%, when we achieved top four, that no-one expected.
“And the most important thing, no-one asked me in the first season to finish top four and in the Champions League .
“They asked me to be in two years in the Champions League.”
Palmer’s issue appears less serious but he must be a doubt for both Chelsea and England for the next two to three weeks.
Chelsea ratings v West Ham
CHELSEA thumped five past West Ham despite losing Cole Palmer to injury before the game even started.
Lucas Paqueta put the Hammers into an early lead but goals from Joao Pedro, Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Trevoh Chalobah gave the Blues a convincing 5-1 win.
Here’s how SunSport’s Lloyd Canfield rated the Chelsea players.
