11 players to miss Burnley vs Chelsea as Enzo Maresca battles injury crisis

Chelsea return to Premier League action on Saturday when they make the trip up the M40 to face Scott Parker's Burnley at Turf Moor, but Enzo Maresca will have to navigate a number of injured players

Chelsea head into Saturday's clash with Burnley at Turf Moor with a number of injuries to navigate.

While many football fans will embrace the return of domestic football following a two-week international break, the fixture between Enzo Maresca's Blues and Scott Parker's Clarets has come a little too soon to see the return of numerous sidelined stars for each team.

As a result, as many as 11 players could miss out on the action in the north of England this weekend, as they eagerly wait in the wings for their fitness to return.

But who could miss Burnley vs Chelsea come Saturday? Here, Football.London breaks it down...

Chelsea

Despite currently sitting third in the Premier League standings, just six points shy of Arsenal's top spot, Chelsea's campaign hasn't been without its drama. Star man Cole Palmer has been out of action for the Blues with a groin injury since limping off the pitch 17 minutes into his club's clash with Manchester United back in September.

As a result, he has missed 16 games for Chelsea across all competitions. And while many fans will be eager to see the attacking midfielder return to the fold as soon as possible, they may have to wait a little longer before he is back in action.

In October, Maresca said of Palmer: "Unfortunately, he needs to be out for probably six more weeks. This is the update. We try to protect Cole as much as we can, and the most important thing is that when he comes back he is fully fit.

"We hope the six weeks will be enough, but it's a problem that we need to look at step by step, week by week, but for sure he is going to be okay." He could be fit to return for Chelsea's match with Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, November 25 but may likely miss the trip to Burnley.

Elsewhere, Pedro Neto withdrew from the Portuguese national team ahead of their World Cup qualification clashes with Ireland and Armenia, as a result of a groin injury sustained against Wolves. While he has since returned to training alongside Chelsea, there are doubts as to whether he will feature against Burnley.

Enzo Fernandez also ruled himself out of international duty with Argentina this month as a result of picking up a knee injury against Wolves. He is expected to be assessed ahead of this weekend's game.

Romeo Lavia, meanwhile, lasted just five minutes against Qarabag in the Champions League earlier this month before he went down clutching his thigh. He has been ruled out for at least a month, and will not return to the game until December.

Elsewhere, Benoit Badiashile has been recovering from a muscular injury and is not expected to be fit until next month, while Dario Essugo is out until the new year after undergoing surgery on his thigh. Levi Colwill will not return to action until next season as a result of sustaining an ACL injury during Chelsea's pre-season preparations. Mykhailo Mudryk is also provisionally suspended at present.

Burnley

Parker also has a number of injured players to navigate at present, as he prepares for one of his toughest tests of the season in the form of a high-flying Chelsea. Zeki Amdouni suffered an ACL injury this summer and faces a prolonged period on the sidelines as a result.

Elsewhere, Jordan Beyer and Connor Roberts are also likely to miss the Chelsea match, as they recover from their respective injuries.