Maresca hopeful Palmer avoids surgery as Chelsea prep for Lincoln cup tie

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said Cole Palmer’s groin injury is unlikely to require surgery, offering a cautious update after the England forward was withdrawn in Chelsea’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford. Palmer, 23, has started only twice in the league this season and lasted 21 minutes before being forced off. Maresca stressed that the decision to pull Palmer was injury-related and not a single contact issue, and that the recovery will be monitored day by day.

Palmer is expected to miss Chelsea’s third-round Carabao Cup tie at Lincoln City on Tuesday, a match Chelsea are heavy favorites to win, given the gulf in league status. The manager also confirmed that Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile remain sidelined, with neither available for the Lincoln trip. Both players did take part in a session yesterday, which is a positive sign but isn’t enough to put them in line for selection on Tuesday. In addition to Palmer and the two injuries, Maresca indicated a few longer-running concerns persist, as players such as Moises Caicedo and Joao Pedro continue to manage smaller problems.

With Tuesday’s visit to the LNER Stadium looming, Chelsea are preparing to flood the squad with academy players for the tie. Lincoln City, who sit third in League One, present a potential upset risk that keeps Maresca focused on the risk of complacency. The Chelsea boss acknowledged that these types of matches can be tricky and warned that the team must approach them with the same level of discipline as any other game. The update on Palmer’s fitness adds another layer to a week that already features a high-tempo schedule and an emphasis on squad management as Chelsea balance injuries with a run of fixtures across multiple competitions.