Without a doubt, the most attractive match of the weekend in England—and probably across Europe—is Saturday’s clash between Chelsea and Liverpool in Premier League Matchday 7. Despite the importance of this game, the Blues will be without their main star, Cole Palmer.
The English midfielder is unavailable for the Liverpool match due to a groin injury that has been affecting him since the FIFA World Cup 2025, which the Blues won this past summer in the United States.
That same physical issue has kept Palmer sidelined for Chelsea’s last three matches: he missed the third-round EFL Cup win over Lincoln, the 3-1 Premier League loss to Brighton & Hove Albion, and Tuesday’s 1-0 Champions League victory against Benfica. In fact, the last time Cole played was against Manchester United on September 20.
Asked about Palmer’s progress during Friday’s press conference, Enzo Maresca was clear. “Cole is still unavailable… I don’t have any major updates. We had a meeting this week about his condition, but for now, nothing new,” said the head coach.
How will Chelsea replace Palmer?
Cole Palmer has been Chelsea’s most decisive player in recent seasons. His ability to create plays, dribble, and above all, score goals has been the Blues’ main weapon—as he proved during the FIFA Club World Cup.
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That’s why in every match Chelsea have played without him, his absence has been felt. In this context, head coach Enzo Maresca has looked to other players with similar characteristics. Facundo Buonanotte carried that responsibility in the most recent Champions League match against Benfica.
However, this time the coach chose a different strategy against Liverpool: the Blues will line up with five defenders, with Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo in midfield. Ahead of them, Alejandro Garnacho, Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto will lead the attack.
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A problem for England as well
Cole Palmer’s injury is not only a major setback for Chelsea, but also for the England national team. They head into the October international break with the chance to secure their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026, but will have to do so without several of their key players.
In addition to Palmer, Jude Bellingham is also out after only recently returning from shoulder surgery. Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Trent Alexander-Arnold are among the other stars missing.
Asked about Palmer’s fitness issues, Thomas Tuchel was frank. “He was only in the June camp… That is concerning, of course,” said the England coach. “The most important thing is that he can play without pain, because the groin issue is a very dangerous one to become chronic. When he’s fit and when he has rhythm and flow, he can decide matches on club level and, for sure, on international level. We know that.”
