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Cole Palmer has not kicked a ball competitively since September 20 but Chelsea are hopeful their star attacker will be able to return to action later in the month
Cole Palmer is due back from injury not long after the international break as Chelsea hope the 23-year-old will be available for their mammoth Champions League tie with Barcelona.
Barca, the five-times champions of Europe, are the visitors to Stamford Bridge on November 25 - in what will be the Blues' second match back from the ongoing international break. Palmer has missed Chelsea's last 11 games in all competitions due to a persistent groin injury that has been troubling him throughout the early exchanges of the season.
The England international limped off early in Chelsea's defeat at Manchester United on September 20 and has not been back on the pitch since. It will be just over two months out of action by the time Palmer - hopefully - returns and it is no surprise to see Blues supporters missing their talisman.
Chelsea's Instagram account posted a flashback to two years ago today when the Blues played out a thrilling 4-4 draw with Palmer's former club Manchester City. Palmer netted a 95th-minute penalty against his old club to salvage a point for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and that led to one account commenting on the post: "Come back soon Palmer we miss you bruh", accompanied with some emojis. Palmer replied: "I miss you guys too", with a blue love heart and a sad face emoji.
Enzo Maresca, speaking last week ahead of Chelsea's trip to Azerbaijan in the Champions League, said he was hopeful Palmer would be fit enough to take some part against Barcelona this month. Maresca said: "We hope so [he will be available vs Barca], but with Cole we try to plan, we try to schedule, you know, at the beginning. Then we need to review that.
"So in this moment we go day by day with Cole. He's not taking any session with the team. And we have Benoit Badiashile that probably can be available after the international break and that is huge news for us.
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"To be honest, I would like to have Cole here tomorrow. I would like to have Cole early. I said many times that we are a better team with Cole. Unfortunately for us, he's out, he's injured, but for sure we want him back very soon."
Plenty has been said by Maresca relating to Palmer since his injury and back in September, days after he limped off at Old Trafford, the Chelsea head coach told football.london about the complexities of his problem. "We need to protect Cole for sure, 100%," Maresca said. "Not only Cole in my personal view, because as I said now, because of the Club World Cup or because we never stop.
"The solution for Cole, I do not know. Now we have a meeting with the medical staff and we decide the best solution for him. But it's also a king of injury that is not black and white. It's not an injury that someday you can be better. It's not that you are playing and tomorrow you disappear. Sometimes you can be better, sometimes you can be worse. That's why we need to manage day by day."
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