Forward returns after 10-week injury layoff with Maresca confirming his availability.
Chelsea have received a major boost ahead of Sunday’s Premier League match against Arsenal with Enzo Maresca confirming that Cole Palmer is fit and ready to start. Palmer has missed 10 weeks with a groin injury and a later toe fracture.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca says Cole Palmer is fit and available to start when the team hosts Arsenal on Sunday. The forward has spent more than two months out with a groin injury and a broken toe, returning later than planned after an accident at home. His comeback offers a lift for Chelsea as they face a top-of-the-table Arsenal side.
Palmer has played limited minutes this season and has not completed a full match since mid-September. Still, Maresca said the team is happy to have him back and expects his presence to add quality and calm to the attack.
Chelsea are also looking forward to the possibility of pairing Palmer with young forward Estevao, who scored in the team’s recent 3-0 win over Barcelona. Maresca said the pair can play together depending on the match plan, but stressed the need to maintain balance.
Chelsea have struggled against Arsenal in recent Premier League meetings, winning only once in their last 11 games. Arsenal enter the match on top of the table, while Chelsea sit several points behind. Maresca said the result will not decide the title race, noting that it is still early in the season.
He added that the team has grown in resilience over the past year and is moving in the right direction. Chelsea have beaten strong opponents this season even without Palmer, with Estevao stepping up during the forward’s absence.
As the club prepares for one of its biggest home games of the season, Palmer’s return brings a sense of renewed confidence, and the Chelsea attack may look different with two of the team’s brightest young players now available.
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