Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca makes big Cole Palmer selection call ahead of Carabao Cup quarter-finals

While Palmer returned to the Blues' starting lineup against the Toffees and also scored the opening goal, the English playmaker is still not a hundred per cent fit and the player does not want to rush his recovery from injury. After starring for Chelsea, Palmer had told reporters: "I didn’t want to rush back too soon and then get injured again, and I’m still managing it, so it’s just about getting better each day. I enjoyed being back out there, and I’m still nowhere near 100 per cent in terms of fitness and sharpness, but I’m getting there and hopefully I’ll be there soon. I don’t want to do too much too soon but I’m getting there.

"I’ve been out for a while, probably the longest I’ve ever been out, so I was itching to get back out there with the team. To start and score was a nice feeling. We’ve obviously had a difficult few games, and it’s harder than people think, a game every three days. It’s a lot of travel and it’s difficult, so to get the win is great."

Palmer later told BBC Sport: "I wouldn’t say I’m at my best yet. I’m still dealing with an injury. Hopefully, it gets better and better but there’s still a bit to go. It is getting better. The stuff I’ve been doing with the physios at the club. It’s just a matter of not doing too much too soon. Literally, it’s just a day-by-day thing. Hopefully it gets better."

Speaking about his squad selection ahead of the Carabao Cup quarter-final, Maresca said: "I’ve already said many times in plenty of press conferences that we have a number of players that need to be protected. The target is to protect them and manage them. Cole is one of the players who deserves to be protected right now. In this moment, he’s not available to play two games in three days. So he won’t be available for tomorrow’s game, but should be fine for the weekend. We're going to make some changes. We'll see how many, but for sure we have players that in the last 12, 13 days, they've played five games. So they need to probably recover energy."

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Maresca remained cautious ahead of facing League One side Cardiff, as he added: "Yes, he (Brian Barry-Murphy) is doing a great job at Cardiff. They are top of the league, playing nice football and winning games. I know Brian and know he is doing a good job. I was the Under-23 coach [at Man City] and when I left, he took over from me. He came to see us in sessions and games and I think he’s doing a fantastic job at Cardiff. This will be a dangerous game for us and we need to pay attention and be careful tomorrow. We have the opportunity to achieve something important, which is to reach the semi-final of this competition."

Palmer's full recovery is not just crucial for Chelsea for the remainder of the 2025-26 season as England boss Thomas Tuchel is also keeping a close eye on the attacking midfielder's fitness. With only a few months left before the 2026 World Cup in North America, the Three Lions will want their star player to become fully fit and regain his best form.

While Palmer will miss the cup competition on Tuesday, he is expected to be back for the club's next Premier League clash against Newcastle United on December 20.