By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that midfielder Cole Palmer will remain sidelined for another six weeks due to injury.
Speaking on Friday, Maresca revealed that the England international, who has been out since Chelsea’s 2-1 loss to Manchester United on September 20 — when he was substituted midway through the first half — will need more time to recover.
Maresca had earlier expressed optimism that the 23-year-old would return after the current international break but has now admitted that the timeline has changed.
“I was wrong. Unfortunately, he needs to be out for probably six more weeks. So, yes, this is the update,” he said.
The Chelsea boss also confirmed that Palmer would not require surgery.
“We try just to protect Cole as much as we can, and the most important thing is that when he comes back, he’s fully recovered,” Maresca added.
Ahead of Chelsea’s clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday, the Italian acknowledged the difficulty of replacing the talented midfielder.
“For sure, we need to find a different solution, we need to find different skills, because we don’t have another player like Cole,” he said. “Because Cole is unique.”
AFP