Chelsea FC lost a lot more than just a league fixture at Manchester United yesterday. Their talisman Cole Palmer had to be subbed off after just 20 minutes. The English forward has been dealing with a nagging groin injury since the preseason. Palmer has been trying to play through it.
“He tried this morning,” Blues boss Enzo Maresca said of Palmer after the match. “He had a test this morning to play this game.”
League Cup Third Round FYIs
Chelsea at Lincoln City FC
Kickoff: Tue. Sept 23rd, 7:45pm, Sincil Bank Stadium, Lincoln, UK
Chelsea Preview Material: Team News Starting Lineup Prediction
Blues Team News at Lincoln City
“He was not 100 percent fit. He made a fantastic effort to play this game, but he was not 100 percent. It’s a problem that is already a long time for him, his groin.
“Again, he did this morning a test. He wants to play this game for the team, to be close. So the effort has been huge from him. But then, after 20 minutes, he started to feel something, so we decided to change it.”
On top of the Palmer injury, you also had starting goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who made a horrific blunder, which got him sent off after just five minutes. The red card means he’ll now serve a three match ban. Although his status is irrelevant here, as he would not be picked for this kind of match anyway.
And then finally, the long-term injury absentees remain the same.
Benoit Badiashile (leg muscle), Romeo Lavia (muscular strain), Levi Colwill (ACL), Dario Essugo (thigh) and Liam Delap (hamstring) all remain sidelined.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter