CHELSEA manager Enzo Maresca has indicated that Cole Palmer is likely to avoid surgery on his groin injury.
The England forward was forced off after just 21 minutes during Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on Saturday.
Maresca revealed that the club’s medical staff have not mentioned the need for an operation for the 23-year-old.
“I don’t know if in the next days or the next weeks, but I don’t think so, to be honest,“ Maresca told reporters when asked about the possibility of surgery.
He praised Palmer for making a huge effort to play in the match despite not being fully fit.
Palmer had passed a fitness test but was not at 100 percent before deciding to help his teammates in the important game.
The manager explained that the decision was made to substitute him when the injury became too painful.
His recovery will now be managed on a day-by-day and week-by-week basis to determine the next steps.
Palmer is expected to miss Chelsea’s League Cup third-round tie against third-tier Lincoln on Tuesday.
Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile have also been ruled out of the cup fixture.
Maresca is likely to select several youth academy players for the match against the League One side.
The Italian manager admitted he is very worried about the potential for a cup upset.
“These are the games that worry me most, because you can slip up very easily,“ he said.
He acknowledged that football is full of such matches where a slip-up can occur against lower-league opposition. – AFP
