Chelsea Star Cole Palmer's Road to Recovery: Latest Updates and Expected Comeback Timeline

Chelsea have become heavily dependent on Cole Palmer's exceptional talent over the last two seasons, but have recently had to manage without their star player in several fixtures.

The 23-year-old regained his form at the FIFA Club World Cup following a subdued latter half of the 2024–25 season, with high hopes surrounding the English midfielder entering the new campaign.

Nevertheless, a physical issue has restricted his participation for Chelsea at the start of the season, with Palmer absent from the Blues' previous two encounters. Enzo Maresca will be eager to have his primary playmaker back in action soon.

Here's the current update on Palmer's injury status.

When Will Cole Palmer Return From Injury?

Palmer participated in Chelsea's season opener, a draw against Crystal Palace at home, and was expected to play in their next match against West Ham United. Unfortunately, he sustained a groin problem during pre-match preparations and missed the 5–1 thrashing of the Hammers.

The creative midfielder was also unavailable for Chelsea's 2–0 triumph over Fulham prior to the September international window and was excluded from Thomas Tuchel's England roster while continuing his rehabilitation.

"With Cole, we must assess his condition daily," Maresca commented before Chelsea's victory against Fulham. "I've had several conversations with [England manager] Thomas [Tuchel], but ultimately it's Thomas' choice and he opted to [exclude Palmer from the squad].

"Certainly, without question, we perform significantly better with Cole available. But when Cole isn't playing, we must discover alternative approaches."

Nevertheless, Maresca may not need to manage without his valuable player much longer, as Palmer's recent social media activity suggests positive news regarding his condition.

Palmer shared multiple images on Instagram with the message "soon back", suggesting an imminent return for Chelsea's number 10 following the conclusion of the September international fixtures.

Chelsea resume play on Saturday, September 13 when they meet their fourth consecutive London adversary in neighborhood rivals Brentford. The Blues then head to Bayern Munich for their Champions League return the subsequent Wednesday, and Maresca will be anxious to have Palmer ready for the journey to Bavaria at minimum.