Chelsea dealt blow as star man picks up injury in warm up before West Ham PL clash

Chelsea have suffered a blow as Cole Palmer was forced to sit out the West Ham United game. The Englishman was named in the starting XI, but had to pull out after the warm-up.

Enzo Maresca made three changes to his side that were held to a goalless draw at home by Crystal Palace. Liam Delap, Malo Gusto, and Tosin Adarabioyo came in with Jamie Gittens, Reece James, and Josh Acheampong making way.

However, the Blues manager was forced into another change just minutes before kick-off after Palmer returned to the dressing room early. The former Manchester City man was spotted in discussion with the medical staff and subsequently removed from the team sheet.

As a result, Estevao Willian was handed his first start for the London side in the Premier League. The young Brazilian winger made his debut in the league last week, after making his move from Palmeiras this summer.

At the time of writing, there was no official word from Chelsea or manager Maresca on the injury issue for Palmer. However, the Premier League Production commentators reported that the move was precautionary. The Englishman had 'felt something' in training and thus opted not to play the match to avoid injury.

Palmer has been the key man for the Blues since moving from Manchester City in 2023. He has scored 37 goals and assisted 19 times in the Premier League, while also playing a key role in the FIFA Club World Cup win earlier in the summer.

Paul Merson highlighted how important Cole Palmer was for Chelsea

Paul Merson wrote in his Sky Sports column earlier this week, saying that opponents need to stop Cole Palmer if they want to win against Chelsea. He believes that the Englishman is the only creator in the team and wrote:

"If Cole Palmer isn't going to break a team down, I'm not sure who is for Chelsea. If opposition teams pick him up and mark him well, I'm not sure what threat Chełsea have. Pedro Neto and Jamie Gittens have pace, but they struggled to beat their defenders on Sunday. He needs some support."

"Palmer is the talk of the town in team talks against Chełsea. Teams are trying to stop him because they think stop him, stop Chelsea. Stop Cole Palmer will be the message for West Ham on Friday. That's just how it is."

The Blues are in talks to sign Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig this summer. They also remain interested in getting Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.