Enzo Maresca: Cole Palmer unlikely to be ready for Chelsea's Carabao Cup clash

The 23-year-old attacker was forced off after just 20 minutes during Chelsea's 2-1 Premier League defeat at Old Trafford to Manchester United on Saturday.

Palmer was seen holding his groin, an issue that has already sidelined him for several weeks this season. Maresca revealed that the early substitution was a precautionary measure to avoid aggravating the injury.

The Carabao Cup tie provides Maresca with an opportunity to rotate his squad, giving fringe players and youngsters a chance to impress.

However, the potential absence of Palmer - who has been a key creative outlet for Chelsea - could limit attacking options against the League One side.

"He was not 100 per cent," Maresca told BBC Sport after Chelsea's defeat.

"It was a fantastic effort for the club, for his team-mates, for the team. Unfortunately he was not 100 per cent.

"It's (been) a problem for a long time for him, his groin. He wanted to play this game, so the effort is huge but after 20 minutes, he decided it was too much.

"Cole is probably the only one that we need to assess a little bit. The rest are okay, just to recover from the last week."

Chelsea will hope that careful management and monitoring of Palmer's groin can see him return sooner rather than later, as his pace and skill on the ball remain vital assets for Maresca's squad.

For now, though, the focus will be on assessing his recovery and finalising a team selection that balances competitiveness with player welfare for the midweek cup clash. 

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