Cole Palmer picked up an injury during Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United over the weekend.
Lisandro Martinez was guilty of a reckless tackle on Cole Palmer towards the end of the game and was cautioned for it.
However, Enzo Maresca wanted Martinez to see red, making that clear to referee Robert Jones at full-time.
The Italian will be desperate for Palmer to be fit enough for Chelsea‘s huge clash against Arsenal this Sunday.
Cole Palmer set for scan
It looks like Palmer’s injury could be worse than initially thought, which will worry Chelsea supporters.
The attacking midfielder has been the Blues’ best player this season, scoring seven goals in 10 Premier League appearances.
According to The Telegraph, Chelsea initially hoped that Palmer’s soreness would settle down and not be enough to rule him out of the Arsenal game at the weekend.
However, the same outlet reports that Chelsea are now expected to put the 22-year-old through a scan to see the extent of the injury.
Former Aston Villa forward Dion Dublin felt Chelsea were trying to use Palmer too much during their draw with United.
Who could replace Cole Palmer?
If Palmer does not recover in time for the Arsenal match, then Joao Felix is the logical option to come in.
The 23-year-old’s best position is just off or behind the striker, while Maresca has confirmed in the past that he sees him as one of the footballers in his squad who can play as a No.10.
Maresca hasn’t ruled out starting Palmer and Felix in the same team either, so that is also something that Chelsea fans could see in the future.
But going into the Arsenal game, it could be all about replacing Palmer, rather than finding someone to complement him. Without the England international, it is going to be extremely hard for Chelsea to claim all three points against their London rivals.
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