Chelsea: Palmer ruled out for another six weeks

Chelsea have been hit with a big injury blow after playmaker Cole Palmer was ruled out of action for a further six weeks with a groin injury.

Palmer sustained the injury in August but returned to action with back-to-back goals against Brentford and Bayern Munich in September.

The 23-year-old England international, however, aggravated the injury during Chelsea’s 2-1 loss at Manchester United on September 20.

Speaking before Saturday’s match with Nottingham Forest, manager Enzo Maresca said: “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 okay.”

Palmer scored 22 Premier League goals in his first season for Chelsea and 15 more last year.

“To replace Cole is difficult,” Maresca said.

“Cole is a very important player for us and one of the best players in Premier league, so he is always difficult to replace.

“We have to find another player with different qualities because we don’t have a player like Cole. He is unique.”