Cole Palmer update – Latest Chelsea injury news and return dates after Man Utd loss

Chelsea returned from Manchester with nothing after losing at Old Trafford on Saturday night as Enzo Maresca was forced to shuffle his pack.

The Italian made Premier League history by making three substitutes inside the opening 20 minutes of a game. Some of those were forced after Robert Sanchez was sent-off inside five minutes, prompting two changes.

But Cole Palmer was hauled off with the playmaker looking less than impressed as he marched straight down the tunnel. He was later seen with an ice pack on his groin.

Palmer has only just returned from an injury lay-off, scoring in successive games in the league and in Europe, but couldn't push through the pain barrier in Manchester.

Wesley Fofana asked to come off in the second half, but the Blues boss has claimed that was simply down to fatigue.

Maresca has the luxury of a deep squad, which is underlined by the fact he left Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens on the bench on Saturday. That said, he won't want to lose any more of his frontline players to injury.

The defeat to Manchester United was Chelsea's first of the league season and they will want to respond quickly. With that being said, football.london has taken a look at the latest Chelsea injury news following another frustrating trip to Old Trafford.

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Cole Palmer

Injury: Groin

He's been eased back in but could only last twenty minutes in Manchester. The Chelsea boss made it known that the playmaker wanted to see if he could handle the intensity of the game, but signalled to the bench that a change was needed.

What Maresca has said: "Cole tried this morning, he had a test this morning to play this game, he was not 100 per cent fit, he made a fantastic effort to play this game, but he was not 100 per cent."

The Italian also added: "He did this morning a test, he wanted to play this game for the team, to be close, so the effort has been huge from him, but then after 20 minutes he started to feel something, so we decided to change him."

Potential return date: Lincoln (A) - Tuesday, September 23

Benoit Badiashile & Romeo Lavia

Injuries: Muscle issues (unspecified)

He's missed the start of the season but Badiashile was back in Chelsea training earlier this week. Romeo Lavia has also been seen in training and the Blues boss has addressed their situations with both potentially in contention to return next weekend, but after the next international break if not.

What Maresca has said: "Romeo and Benoit, I don't think they will be back after the international break, but they will be closer."

Potential return date: Brighton (H) - Saturday, September 27.

Liam Delap

Injury: Hamstring

The new summer signing suffered a hamstring injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham earlier this month. Immediately alarm bell were ringing and the ex-Ipswich striker is unlikely to return to action before December 2025.

What Maresca has said: "Liam is around 10-12 weeks, so a long way to go."

Potential return date: December 2025

Dario Essugo

Injury: Thigh

After picking up a thigh injury on international duty with Portugal, Essugo underwent surgery and is expected to miss the next few months.

Potential return date: Early 2026

Levi Colwill

Injury: Knee

Colwill is expected to miss the bulk of the 2025/26 season after suffering an ACL injury.

Potential return date: Unknown.