Cole Palmer's Shocking Absence: The Real Reason Chelsea's Star Misses Cardiff Clash
Chelsea's relentless winter fixture list continues without pause as the Blues gear up to take on Cardiff City in their Carabao Cup quarterfinal clash this Tuesday evening.
The London side travels to Wales aiming to secure their spot in the Carabao Cup semi-finals for the first time during Enzo Maresca's tenure, with expectations high that they'll comfortably dispatch their League One adversaries without much difficulty.
The clubs last met when Cardiff competed in the Premier League during the 2018–19 campaign, but the Welsh outfit has since dropped to England's third division and would require an extraordinary performance to defeat Chelsea for the first time since 1986.
While the Blues will aim to conserve energy in the Welsh capital, their task becomes more complicated without Cole Palmer. Their star player, who found the net during Saturday's triumph over Everton, has been limited in appearances this campaign due to fitness concerns and will sit out this quarterfinal encounter.
Why Is Cole Palmer Not Playing for Chelsea vs. Cardiff?
Palmer has missed 16 Chelsea fixtures due to injury concerns this season. A groin problem kept him sidelined for more than two months of the season in total, and an unusual toe injury upon his comeback forced another week on the sidelines.
Although Palmer has returned to complete match readiness after appearing in the last three fixtures, Maresca wants to shield the England star from any additional injury risks. The Chelsea manager has confirmed he will be rested against Cardiff on Tuesday to prevent overexertion.
"I've mentioned repeatedly in numerous press conferences that we have several players who require protection," Maresca explained to reporters ahead of the Cardiff fixture. "The objective is to safeguard and manage them properly. Cole is among the players who needs protection at this time.
"Currently, he's not ready to participate in two matches within three days. Therefore, he won't be available for tomorrow's fixture, but should be ready for the weekend.
"We're planning to make several changes. We'll determine how many, but certainly we have players who, over the past 12-13 days, have participated in five matches. So they likely need to restore their energy levels."
Palmer, as Maresca indicated, should be available to play on Saturday afternoon when Chelsea travels to Newcastle United in Premier League action. The Blues trail third-place Aston Villa by five points but can guarantee their top-four position at Christmas with victory at St James' Park.
Who Will Replace Cole Palmer vs. Cardiff?
Maresca will probably implement significant changes from the squad that defeated Everton on Saturday, with a completely fresh starting eleven being a realistic possibility. Thankfully, he possesses numerous quality alternatives throughout his roster.
Although players like João Pedro or Enzo Fernández could potentially step into Palmer's attacking midfield position, it seems more likely that loan signing Facundo Buonanotte will function as Chelsea's primary playmaker.
The Argentine has featured in only six matches for Chelsea since his temporary move from Brighton & Hove Albion, but he's been selected to start both of the team's Carabao Cup fixtures, including netting the decisive goal against Lincoln City in the third round.