Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Cole Palmer will not feature in Tuesday’s Champions League encounter with Atalanta in Bergamo, as the club continues to manage the fitness of its injury-hit squad.
Palmer, 23, has endured a challenging period, first sidelined by a groin issue and later suffering a fractured toe after an accident at home. The England forward made his first start since September during Saturday’s goalless draw at Bournemouth, but Maresca emphasized that the forward is not yet ready for consecutive fixtures.
“Cole is in part of his process in this moment. He’s not available; he can’t play two games in a row in three days,” Maresca said on Monday. “So we planned that, and it’s just a way to protect him.”
Injury Updates and Squad Management
Maresca also provided updates on striker Liam Delap, who suffered a shoulder injury at Bournemouth. The manager confirmed that, fortunately, there is no fracture, though the exact recovery timeline remains uncertain. Delap has already missed two months of the season due to a hamstring problem.
Despite these absences, Maresca clarified that Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi will not be recalled for the Champions League fixture. Both players have been training separately following failed transfer moves in the summer window.
“In terms of Raheem, once again it’s the same thing I said about Axel—they are Chelsea players. Now also we are in December, January is coming, so anything can happen, obviously,” Maresca noted.
Defenders Reece James and Wesley Fofana have had their playing time carefully managed after extended injury layoffs but are available for selection.
Young Talent Set to Shine
Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho is expected to start against Atalanta, having impressed since joining from Manchester United during the summer. The Argentine expressed satisfaction with his move, citing the opportunity for personal and professional growth.
“Sometimes in life you have to change things to maybe take a step forward or to improve as a player. I think it was the right moment, also the right club. So yeah, it was an easy decision,” Garnacho said.
Champions League Outlook
Chelsea enter the match sitting seventh in their Champions League group, following a dominant 3-0 victory over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge in their previous group fixture. Maresca’s squad will be looking to build on that result while carefully navigating the fitness challenges that have plagued the team this season.
