One of the main reasons that Chelsea have had such a successful season so far is squad fitness. In 2024-25, they have avoided injury crisis, unlike last season. But as a visit from Wolverhampton Wanderers approaches, Enzo Maresca and company must now deal with a slew of injury concerns, to some of their best and most expensive players. Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia, Enzo Fernandez and Levi Colwill must all pass late fitness tests, if they are to get in the squad on Monday night.
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Let’s start right up top, with Cole Palmer, who has an ankle/foot problem.
“Cole had a kick in the ankle in the first half [against Bournemouth]. He didn’t train today, and we don’t know if we’ll train tomorrow or in two days,” Maresca said.
Regarding the other three players, Colwill (unspecified), Lavia (hamstring) and Fernandez (undisclosed), Maresca said:
“Levi was also not in the session today, Enzo wasn’t in the session today, Romeo wasn’t in the session today. So, we have three or four players who are doubts for Monday’s game because of the last game.”
So with those four players, we have now covered all the new developments. Meanwhile Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall remain sidelined with longer-term injuries.
Factor in the indefinite suspension to Mykhailo Mudryk and Maresca could be without the services of eight first team players for this one.
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, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. 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.