Chelsea dealt fresh Cole Palmer injury blow as Blues talisman misses training amid problematic ongoing groin issue

The former Manchester City man only came back from this injury in the 2-2 draw at Brentford on September 13, but was forced off after 21 minutes in the defeat at United last weekend. He also sat out the Blues' 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Lincoln City in midweek, raising fears he could be unavailable for a while. And according to Sky Sports, Palmer missed Chelsea's open training session on Thursday.

Former Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino previously challenged his squad to prove they are not "Cole Palmer FC" ahead of a clash with Arsenal. They would lose that game 5-0, with Palmer missing out due to illness. The England ace has 58 goal contributions in 98 Premier League appearances and is vital to Chelsea's success.

While head coach Maresca admits they are a better side with Palmer in it, they need to find solutions when he isn't around. 

He told Sky Sports last week: "We need him, no doubt. With Cole we are a better team. But when Cole is not available we need to find solutions and ways to win games. We did it against West Ham and Fulham. We were close against Brentford."

The former Leicester City manager stressed the importance of not rushing Palmer back before he is ready, particularly after a long summer that included the Club World Cup and a shortened pre-season.

Maresca said, "We need to protect Cole for sure, 100%. Not only Cole, in my personal view, because as I said now, because of the Club World Cup or because we never stop, we need to manage and protect different players," Maresca explained, also referencing Moises Caicedo and Joao Pedro."

He added: "The solution with Cole, I don't know, now we have a meeting with the medical staff and we decide the best solution for him. But it's also a kind of injury that is not like black and white. It's an injury that someday you can be better. It's not that you have pain and tomorrow will disappear. Sometimes you can be better, sometimes you can be worse. That's why we need to manage day by day."

Maresca is yet to give any clear indication as to when Chelsea's attacking talisman will be fit and ready once again. The west London outfit face Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday in a battle between sixth and 14th, respectively, before continuing their Champions League campaign at home to Benfica next Tuesday. Finally, the Blues have a crunch clash with defending champions and current unbeaten league leaders Liverpool on October 4, in what is their final game before the latest international break. It remains to be seen when Palmer will be available once more.