Chelsea have received a major boost ahead of their huge Premier League meeting with Arsenal as Cole Palmer has been declared fully fit to return. The twenty three year old forward had fractured his toe after accidentally stubbing it against a door last week, which forced him to miss the victories over Burnley and Barcelona. This setback added to a frustrating season for the England international, who has struggled with several fitness issues and has only been able to play five times across all competitions so far. Manager Enzo Maresca provided a positive injury update by confirming that Palmer is now available to start. Maresca explained that everyone inside the Chelsea camp is delighted to have him back in contention. He noted that Palmer himself is excited to return because every footballer wants to be involved in training regularly and take part in matches. The Chelsea boss described Palmer as the club’s best player and emphasised the need to give him enough time to reach full sharpness. According to Maresca, Palmer has already delivered fantastic performances in the past and there is complete confidence that he will continue to be an important figure for the team in the future. Just a week ago, Maresca had hinted that the upcoming Sunday match at sixteen thirty GMT might arrive too soon for the forward.
Cole Palmer Injury Boost as Chelsea Confirm Fitness for Arsenal Match
His absence would certainly have been a significant loss for a Chelsea side currently sitting second behind Arsenal. A win would move the Blues to within three points of the league leaders, increasing the importance of this latest injury update. Palmer has not featured since the two one defeat to Manchester United on twenty September. Chelsea have played thirteen matches in all competitions since that game, winning ten, losing two and drawing one. The forward joined Chelsea from Manchester City in September twenty twenty three and made an instant impact. He finished as the club’s top scorer in his debut Premier League season with twenty two goals and followed that up with fifteen more last campaign. In Palmer’s absence, new signing Estevao Willian has stepped up impressively and scored five goals across all competitions. Maresca revealed that Palmer and Estevao could play together depending on the tactical approach for each game.
The manager said the idea of pairing the two is exciting for both fans and staff, though the team always needs to strike the right balance.Palmer’s return does create a selection puzzle for Maresca. Chelsea have shown considerable progress even without him, earning ten wins in thirteen matches, proving they are no longer reliant on a single player. Estevao and Pedro Neto have been in exceptional form, while Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho continue to develop. Enzo Fernandez currently leads the squad in combined goals and assists. One of the most thrilling attacking combinations could involve Joao Pedro through the center, Neto on the left, Palmer in a central creative role and Estevao on the right. However, Maresca may choose to approach Arsenal with caution and potentially start with Pedro, Garnacho, Fernandez and Neto, keeping Palmer and Estevao as strong options from the bench.
source: BBC
