Chelsea dealt major Cole Palmer blow as Enzo Maresca reveals extent of injury

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Cole Palmer is set for a spell on the sidelines as they aim to get the England international back to perfect fitness. The Blues star was substituted in the first half of the defeat to Manchester United in the Premier League last weekend and was spotted having ice on his groin after returning to the substitute's bench.

Palmerhas been dealing with an ongoing groin injury for the majority of the season, and Marescahas now confirmed that the playmaker will be unavailable for the next few weeks.

"We decided to protect a little bit Cole in terms of his injuries not getting worse," Maresca told reporters on Friday. "We decided to rest him for the next two or three weeks before the international break to see if he can recover 100% and be fully fit from the international break."

"I don't think he needs surgery," Maresca added. "It's a matter of managing his pain in his groin, with the amount of games, it is something that can happen."

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Chelsea are currently preparing to face Brighton in the Premier League this weekend, and Palmer is not the only player set to miss the fixture. Maresca also confirmed that Tosin Adarabioyo is ruled out with a calf injury, while Wesley Fofana remains a doubt after suffering a concussion during the Carabao Cup win over Lincoln City in midweek.

"We have Tosin injured and will probably be out until international break," said Maresca. "He has a small problem in his calf.

"Wes Fofana had concussion against Lincoln, and the rest are okay. Romeo [Lavia] and Benoit [Badiashile] are better. We will see if they can join us tomorrow."

Chelsea are without a win in their last two Premier League matches and will be determined to return to winning ways when they face Brighton on Saturday afternoon. Maresca and Co. go into the game on the back of a 2-1 win over Lincoln in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, with their last victory in the top flight seeing them beat Fulham on August 30 before the last international break.

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