Cole Palmer was omitted from Chelsea's matchday squad to take on Crystal Palace on Sunday, with Liam Rosenior explaining his reasoning behind the decision ahead of kick-off
Cole Palmer will be absent from Chelsea's clash with Crystal Palace on Sunday due to a minor thigh issue. The Blues revealed their team selection at 12.45pm on Sunday, an hour and a quarter ahead of their 2pm kick-off against the Eagles at Selhurst Park.
However, Palmer's name was absent from the starting XI and subsequent bench. Rather than fielding his star player, Liam Rosenior has chosen to deploy a midfield trio of Andrey Santos, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, with a front three of Estevao, Pedro Neto and Joao Pedro.
As supporters took to social media to question Palmer's absence, it has now been confirmed that Palmer is still recovering from a knock to his thigh. Football.London journalist Bobby Vincent reported: " Cole Palmer missing for #CFC today with minor thigh injury. Trained last two days and hope is he will be fit for trip to Naples."
Meanwhile, speaking to Sky Sports before kick-off, Rosenior said of Palmer: "Unfortunately for us, Cole's not quite right for this one. I've said before in press conferences, we want to make sure every player is at 100 per cent.
"There's no use risking players in January for what we want to achieve. He's got a little niggle in his thigh, he's not quite 100 per cent but he's got a chance for Wednesday. Hopefully he's back for then."
It marks the second consecutive match Palmer has missed, having also been absent from the squad for the Blues' midweek 1-0 victory over Pafos at home. Rosenior revealed that his absence from that fixture was also down to "tightness" in his thigh, though the manager suggested he anticipated the player would return shortly.
However, it seems Sunday's encounter with Palace has arrived too early for the Englishman to take part. The 23-year-old has struggled with fitness throughout the season, managing just 12 Premier League outings so far.
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Palmer battled groin problems at the start of the season, before a broken toe in November ruled him out for a while longer. It comes after reports emerged earlier this week linking Palmer with a surprise switch to Manchester United, amid suggestions he was unsettled in London.
The attacking midfielder, who hails from Wythenshawe, was said to be feeling homesick in the capital. However, Rosenior moved swiftly to dismiss any speculation about Palmer's situation earlier this week.
Addressing the media, he said: "I've had numerous conversations with Cole and he seems, and is, very, very happy to be here. He is a huge part of our long‐term plans, he's an outstanding player.
"Every player goes through difficult moments in their career with injuries, but that is no indication of his quality."
After their brief journey to Selhurst Park on Sunday, Chelsea will be aiming for automatic qualification to the Champions League knockout stages when they take on Napoli at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Currently, the West London team are eighth in the European league's standings, with four victories, one draw and two defeats. However, with Barcelona, Sporting CP, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Atalanta hot on their heels based on goal difference, a resounding win may be necessary to secure Chelsea's place in the top eight.