Cole Palmer has been passed fit to start Chelsea’s clash against Wolves this evening.
The 22-year-old star has once again been the Blues’ key player this season but was an injury worry ahead of tonight’s showdown.
Palmer seemingly picked up an injury during his side’s 2-2 draw with Bournemouth in midweek, going down in the first half with an issue.
He managed to make it until full-time without being substituted which seemed to indicate that no serious damage was done.
That was until manager Enzo Maresca gave an update on his fitness…
Is Cole Palmer fit to play tonight?
Palmer has been named in the starting eleven for Chelsea vs Wolves.
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He missed the Blues’ training session on Friday ahead of the game tonight but has handed Maresca a huge boost by being passed fit.
Maresca said in his pre-match press conference: “Cole, Levi [Colwill], Enzo [Fernandez], and Romeo [Lavia] were not in the session.
“So those four players are doubts for Monday’s game because they picked up problems in the last game.
“Cole has an ankle issue. He was kicked in the first half of the last game.
“He didn’t train today, and we’re uncertain if he’ll be able to train tomorrow or in the next couple of days.”
The Chelsea boss continued: “We rely on Cole because he’s an important player.
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“We prefer to have him in the team, but if he’s injured or facing any issues, we’ll have to find a solution.”
Palmer ultimately retained his spot in Chelsea’s starting XI, but five changes were made from the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.
Maresca told Sky Sports: “We had some problems from the last game but we try to find different solutions and try to adapt for this game.
“In this moment of the season many teams have problems in terms of injury. Hopefully the ones that are going to play today can help us.
“The reason [Trevor] Chalobah is back is because we’re sure he can help us and because we need him to play games.”
Palmer has scored 14 goals in 21 games this season, keeping up the incredible form that he built last campaign.
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On top of that, he’s provided six assists and 54 key passes, proving that he’s not only a goalscorer but the main creative cog in the Blues’ system.
Captain Reece James is also starting despite his minutes being managed by the club following yet another injury.
He’s played 80 minutes over the last two fixtures, coming off the bench to equalise in the dying moments from a free-kick last Tuesday.
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