Chelsea forward Cole Palmer has suffered an unexpected setback in his recovery, fracturing the little toe on his left foot after stubbing it on a door at home, the club has confirmed. The incident occurred on Wednesday night, just as Palmer was preparing to return to first-team training following a two-month layoff due to a groin problem. Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that he was alerted by the club doctor late at night.
Despite the seemingly minor nature of the accident, medical assessment confirmed a fracture in Palmer’s small toe. Although the injury is not considered overly serious, there is no exact timeline for his full return. As a result, Palmer will miss at least three upcoming matches, including fixtures against Burnley, Barcelona, and Arsenal. Maresca confirmed that Palmer is “probably not available for Barcelona for sure or Arsenal for sure.” The timing is particularly frustrating, coming just as Palmer was on the cusp of rejoining the squad after his groin recovery. Maresca noted that while Palmer is walking with minimal discomfort, contact with a football boot can still be painful.
Chelsea are taking steps to aid Palmer’s recovery, including providing specially made boots designed to reduce pressure on the injured toe. These custom boots may allow him to resume some training in the near future, possibly by early December. The manager admitted the timing of the injury was unfortunate, emphasizing that accidents can happen at home and highlighting Palmer’s importance to the squad. He also stressed that while the team is stronger with Palmer on the pitch, the squad will need to adapt in his absence.
Toe fractures, even in a small toe, can be problematic for professional athletes who rely on footwear and precise movement, and recovery can take several weeks. For Palmer, what seemed like a minor domestic mishap has delayed his return just as Chelsea were preparing to reintegrate one of their most promising attackers. The club is acting swiftly, but the coming weeks will test both Palmer’s resilience and Chelsea’s squad depth.
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