Chelsea have been dealt a blow with the news that Cole Palmer has been ruled out for a further six weeks.
That was the update delivered by Blues head coach Enzo Maresca in his pre-match press conference today, ahead of their Saturday lunchtime trip to Nottingham Forest.
"Unfortunately, he needs to be out for probably six more weeks, this is the update," said Maresca, in quotes published on Chelsea's official website.
"We try to protect Cole as much as we can and the most important thing is that when he comes back, he is fully fit.
"We hope the six weeks will be enough, but it’s a problem that we need to look at step by step, week by week, but for sure, he is going to be okay."
Palmer was withdrawn in the 21st minute of Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United on 20 September after aggravating a groin injury.
Chelsea’s fixtures in next six weeks
18 Oct Forest (A)
22 Oct Ajax (H) Champions League
25 Oct Sunderland (H)
29 Oct Wolves (A) EFL Cup
1 Nov Spurs (A)
5 Nov Qarabag (A) CL
8 Nov Wolves (H)
22 Nov Burnley (A)
25 Nov Barcelona (H)
What does this mean for Chelsea?
A look at Chelsea’s statistics in the Premier League since Palmer first played for them in 2023 show his importance to the team, with many key metrics dipping when he is absent.
Without Palmer, their attacking output declines, as shown with their average goals per match dropping from 1.9 to 1.7.
Their average number of shots per match also decreases when he is absent, by almost one third from 15.3 per match to 10.6. Shots on target per match also drop, from an average of 5.8 to 4.1.
Chelsea also concede more goals without Palmer, an average of 1.7 per match compared to 1.4 when he is playing.
However, Chelsea's win ratio is actually higher in matches without Palmer — they have won 57.1 per cent of the games he has missed, compared to 49.3 per cent of the matches he has played.
That said, matches without Palmer is a small sample size at present. He has made 73 Premier League appearances for Chelsea since joining them in 2023 and has only missed seven matches.
How Chelsea fare with/without Palmer in PL
| With Palmer | Since 2023/24 | Without Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| 73 | Matches | 7 |
| 36 | Wins | 4 |
| 19 | Draws | 0 |
| 18 | Losses | 3 |
| 137 | Goals for | 12 |
| 1.9 | Avg. goals for | 1.7 |
| 99 | Goals against | 12 |
| 1.4 | Avg. goals against | 1.7 |
| 49.3% | Win ratio | 57.1% |
| 1.7 | Points/match | 1.7 |
| 15.3 | Shots/match | 10.6 |
| 5.8 | Shots on target/match | 4.1 |
Palmer's importance to Chelsea is also underlined by him being their top player for 12 separate attacking statistics in the Premier League, as shown below:
How Palmer ranks for Chelsea in the PL
| Statistic | Total | Chelsea rank |
| Goals | 38 | 1st |
|---|---|---|
| Assists | 19 | 1st |
| Goals + assists | 57 | 1st |
| Total shots | 244 | 1st |
| Shots on target | 99 | 1st |
| Expected Goals | 36.3 | 1st |
| Expected Assists | 18 | 1st |
| Chances created | 162 | 1st |
| Through-balls | 50 | 1st |
| Touches in opp. box | 306 | 1st |
| Succ. passes ending in final third | 1034 | 1st |
| Passes played into box | 398 | 1st |
Maresca himself will not be present on the touchline at the City Ground for Saturday's match because he will be serving a one-match touchline suspension for a misconduct charge after Chelsea's late victory over Liverpool the previous round.