Cole Palmer sends impatient update on injury recovery as truth emerges over Chelsea talisman's return date

After scoring 18 goals across all competitions and helping the Blues win the Conference League and the Club World Cup trophies, Palmer looked destined to build on his talismanic status at Stamford Bridge. But instead of carrying that momentum into this term, the forward has largely found himself confined to the treatment room. His groin injury has limited him to just three Premier League appearances and a solitary Champions League outing.

It was initially thought that Palmer would regain full fitness by the first week of November and return to action for the Blues, but manager Enzo Maresca later revealed that the situation is far worse than he first thought and that the his initial optimism was misguided. Maresca told reporters: "I was wrong [about Palmer]. Unfortunately, he needs to be out for six more weeks. We try to protect Cole as much as we can. The most important thing is when he comes back, he is fully fit. The medical staff are not magicians. We hope six weeks are enough. We need to see it step by step. For sure, he's going to be OK."

Palmer returned to Cobham on Tuesday, where the club presented him with a special memento for reaching 100 matches for Chelsea across all competitions since completing his transfer from Manchester City in the summer of 2023. The attacking midfielder shared that image on his Instagram story and wrote: "100 & more to come! Can't wait to be back, man." However, any hopes Blues fans had that his presence at the training ground meant Palmer was back on the grass have been dashed. According to the Daily Mail, although he was wearing his training kit, the 23-year-old had been going through rehabilitation work indoors before popping outside for the photo. He is still unlikely to return until late November.

IG:@colepalmer10

While Palmer will still need some time to recover, there is good news for the club, as Maresca confirmed on Tuesday that Liam Delap has resumed training and is likely to be a part of their matchday squad on Wednesday night against Wolves. Speaking to reporters ahead of the Carabao Cup clash, the Italian tactician said: "Yes, he took part in a complete lead session yesterday and is available for tomorrow. No, 90 minutes, no. It's I think two months now that he's out, so he needs to gradually get back to 100%."

Delap, who joined the Blues from Ipswich Town in the summer, picked up an injury in just the third match of the 2025-26 campaign as he limped off in the first half of the Blues' 2-0 win over Fulham on August 30. Since then, the striker has remained sidelined but is now on his way back to action for the English giants.

Keeping in mind Chelsea's hectic schedule until the November international break, Maresca might consider rotating his squad against a struggling Wolves side - who are yet to win a game in the Premier League - in their Carabao Cup fourth round tie. After the cup fixture, the Blues face Tottenham Hotspur in a difficult Premier League clash away from home on Saturday, November 1. Before the international break, they play two further games, one against Qarabag FK in the Champions League and a home fixture in the league against Wolves once again.