LONDON, United Kingdom, Nov 21- Chelsea’s Cole Palmer will be absent for another week because he fractured his toe when he stubbed it on a door on Wednesday night.
The England forward was set to resume first-team training this week after two months out with a groin injury.
But the 23-year-old will remain out for slightly longer because of the injury to the small toe on his favoured left foot.
He will miss the Blues’ next three fixtures – Saturday’s Premier League game at Burnley, Tuesday’s Champions League fixture against Barcelona and next weekend’s match at home to Arsenal.
“He is probably not available for Saturday for sure, Barcelona for sure or Arsenal for sure,” said Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca.
“Unfortunately, he had an accident at home where he hit his toe. It is nothing important, but he won’t be back in the next week.
“I wake up many times during the night – I hit my head, my legs, my everything – so it can happen.”
Palmer’s most recent appearance was during Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on 20 September.
The Blues have played 11 games in all competitions since then – winning eight and losing two – and sit third in the Premier League table.
“I think that his team-mates are better players with Cole playing,” added Maresca. “I feel much better when Cole is on the pitch, and we all want Cole on the pitch.
“At the same time, when Cole is not on the pitch, we need to find a solution. The team is doing very well but we are better with Cole. He was almost back with us.”
Enzo Fernandez, Pedro Neto and Benoit Badiashile are all available for the trip to Turf Moor.
Chelsea have Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi in their so-called ‘bomb squad’ and Maresca confirmed nothing has changed with the pair, despite the defender’s involvement with the Under-21s and first-team training during the international break.
“Axel and Raheem are Chelsea players,” he said. “Axel is helping the second team, he’s helping the younger players.
“During the international break we had just five, six players here, so we needed some second-team players. Axel was part of some sessions with second-team players, but I think it was just one session with us.”
‘Palmer remains Chelsea’s standout attacker’
Chelsea were described as ‘Cole Palmer FC’ during his sensational first season at Stamford Bridge under Mauricio Pochettino.
Since Enzo Maresca took charge, Palmer has remained Chelsea’s standout attacker.
He was man of the match in the 4-1 win over Real Betis in last season’s Conference League final and won Player of the Tournament as Chelsea lifted the Club World Cup in the summer.
Palmer will miss matches against Burnley, Barcelona and Arsenal, and Chelsea then have three games in nine days against Leeds United, Bournemouth and Atalanta.
The injury is understood not to be serious while there are hopes he is over the worst of a recurring groin problem.
Palmer has played only four matches this season and has not featured since being substituted after 21 minutes at Old Trafford.
However, Chelsea have won eight of their 11 matches without him, with players such as Estevao Willian, Facundo Buonanotte, Alejandro Garnacho, Pedro Neto, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro stepping up during his absence.
