Chelsea forward Cole Palmer faces an extended absence after fracturing a toe in an unusual accident at home. The 23-year-old England international had been preparing to return to first-team training following a two-month groin injury, but the incident on Wednesday night has delayed his comeback.

Details of Palmer’s Injury

Palmer, whose preferred left foot was affected, suffered the fracture after stubbing his small toe on a door at home. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca confirmed that the injury is not serious, but will keep Palmer out of the next three fixtures:

• Premier League: Burnley at Turf Moor (Saturday)
• Champions League: Barcelona (Tuesday)
• Premier League: Arsenal at Stamford Bridge (next weekend)

“He is probably not available for Saturday for sure, Barcelona for sure or Arsenal for sure,” Maresca said. “Unfortunately, he had an accident at home. It is nothing important, but he won’t be back in the next week.”

The manager also added lightheartedly, “I wake up many times during the night – I hit my head, my legs, my everything – so it can happen.”

Palmer’s Form and Importance to Chelsea

Palmer has been a standout attacker for Chelsea under Maresca, following a breakout first season under Mauricio Pochettino. He was man of the match in the 4-1 Conference League final win over Real Betis and was named Player of the Tournament as Chelsea lifted the Club World Cup in the summer.

This season, Palmer has featured in only four matches, his last appearance coming during Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on 20 September, when he was substituted after just 21 minutes. Despite his absence, the Blues have been performing well, winning eight of 11 matches across all competitions.

Chelsea have relied on other attacking talents to step up, including:

• Estevao Willian
• Facundo Buonanotte
• Alejandro Garnacho
• Pedro Neto
• Jamie Gittens
• Joao Pedro

Maesca acknowledged Palmer’s influence on the squad:
“I feel much better when Cole is on the pitch, and we all want Cole on the pitch. At the same time, when he is not here, the team is doing very well, but we are better with Cole.”

Squad Updates

Chelsea will have Enzo Fernandez, Pedro Neto, and Benoit Badiashile available for the Burnley trip. Maresca confirmed that Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi remain part of the first-team squad, despite their involvement in Under-21 sessions during the international break.

“Axel is helping the second team, helping younger players. During the international break we had just five, six players here, so we needed some second-team players. Axel was part of some sessions, but it was just one session with us,” Maresca clarified.

Palmer Joins the List of Freak Injuries

Palmer’s toe fracture adds to the long list of footballers sidelined by bizarre, off-field accidents:

• Dave Beasant (Wimbledon): Severed tendon from a falling jar of salad cream.
• Alan Wright (Aston Villa): Leg strain reaching for car accelerator.
• Liam Lawrence (Stoke City): Ankle injury tripping over his dog.
• Rio Ferdinand (Leeds): Strained tendon while watching TV.
• Rami Kaib (Sweden): Broken jaw from eating a carrot.
• Kirk Broadfoot (Rangers): Egg explosion in microwave.
• Santiago Canizares (Spain): Missed 2002 World Cup after severing tendon from aftershave bottle.

While uncommon, these incidents underline the unpredictable nature of sports injuries beyond the pitch.

Looking Ahead

Chelsea now faces three crucial matches without Palmer, including a high-profile Champions League clash against Barcelona, and Premier League games against Burnley and Arsenal. The club will rely on squad depth to maintain their title push, hoping Palmer’s return will bolster their attacking options soon.