COLE PALMER BACK ON GRASS: MARESCA BOOSTS CHELSEA BEFORE ARSENAL
Chelsea's Cole Palmer is back training on grass as he recovers from a broken toe. Manager Enzo Maresca provides a positive update but confirms the star is unlikely to feature against Barcelona or Arsenal
Chelsea fans have some good news: Cole Palmer might be back on the field soon! After being out for two months with a groin issue, the 23-year-old Chelsea star had a setback, breaking his toe in a strange accident at home. But manager Enzo Maresca says Palmer is now training on the grass. He's hoping Palmer can rejoin the team soon.
Palmer hasn't played since the 2-1 loss to Manchester United back in September, so his return will give the team a real boost. Chelsea has been doing okay without him, though. They even moved past Manchester City into second place after beating Burnley 2-0 last Saturday. The team also has seven points from four Champions League matches. Last season, Palmer had 23 goals in the Premier League, so getting him back is a big deal.
Maresca spoke about Palmer at a press conference before Chelsea's Champions League game against Barcelona. He told reporters that Palmer is wearing a protective boot. They don't know exactly when he'll be back, but it should be soon. Palmer is already practising on the field and feeling positive. Right now, the focus is on the game against Barcelona. After that, they'll think about Arsenal. Maresca doesn't think Palmer will be ready for either of those games, but he's getting better.
Maresca also talked about the upcoming match with Barcelona, acknowledging their talented players like Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal.
Maresca said Lewandowski is a great player who scores goals, which is the most important thing in football. Chelsea will try hard to defend against him. But Barcelona has many good players, like Lewandowski, Yamal, Fermin Lopez, and Frenkie de Jong. Chelsea also has players who can win the game.
Maresca believes Chelsea is better now than when they played Bayern away. But he pointed out that every game is different, and Barcelona will use different strategies on attack and defence. He thinks the team is improving every day.
Maresca thinks Barcelona is a team that others can learn from, especially how they attack and defend. Their skills helped them win La Liga last year and reach the Champions League semi-final. They do many things well and always want to take the lead, which is what Chelsea also tries to do.
Chelsea is getting ready for a tough week. They have Barcelona in the Champions League and then a game against Arsenal in the Premier League. Maresca knows these are important games, but is focusing on the match with Barcelona. He said that after these games, they have matches against Leeds, Bournemouth, and Atalanta. Every game is a chance to earn points, so it's important to focus on each one. First, it's Barcelona, and then Arsenal.
XAVI OPENLY DECLARES INTEREST IN CHELSEA JOB DURING PERMANENT MANAGER SEARCH
With Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola on the shortlist, explore why Xavi Hernández wants to take over the Chelsea hotseat next.
Xavi has openly said he’d love to manage Chelsea, and now the Blues are hunting for someone to replace Liam Rosenior.
Rosenior got the sack last month after a rough patch just three months into his huge contract that was supposed to last six and a half years. Calum McFarlane is filling in as interim head coach until season’s end, but Chelsea are actively looking for a permanent boss for the 2026/27 campaign.
They're considering some big names. Xabi Alonso’s been mentioned; he’s been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in January. Andoni Iraola, who’s about to leave Bournemouth, is also on the shortlist.
Cesc Fabregas has been linked after his strong run at Como, and Frank Lampard’s in the mix too, fresh off winning the Championship with Coventry and securing promotion.
But Xavi really stands out. He’s already made it clear he’s interested in the Chelsea job. Back in 2019, before his Barcelona return, he said, “I don’t hide it; my goal is to come back to Europe and to Barca. It's my challenge, but I’m enjoying this current project. For me, training a team in Barcelona would be a privilege, the biggest privilege.”
He didn’t just talk about Spain either. “Honestly, who doesn’t love the Premier League? The atmosphere, packed stadiums, everyone says it’s incredible,” Xavi admitted. “If I had to pick, I’d go for a big team: City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, or Tottenham. Klopp, Pochettino, and Unai Emery are doing amazing work there.”
After returning to Barcelona in 2021, Xavi led them to a La Liga title and the Supercopa de España before Hansi Flick took over in 2024. He’s been out of work since.
Now, Chelsea seems seriously interested in the Spaniard. According to The i, the club wants someone who can embed a strong football identity across their teams, something Enzo Maresca started.
Getting Xavi won’t be easy, though. Morocco’s national team reportedly sees him as a top candidate to replace Walid Regragui, and Manchester United is eyeing him too as they weigh options beyond Michael Carrick.
Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso is the bookmakers’ favourite for the Chelsea role, but word is he’d want more control over club decisions if he moves to west London.
COLE PALMER MISSES PENALTY AS CHELSEA SUFFER HISTORIC SIXTH CONSECUTIVE LEAGUE DEFEAT
Chelsea matched a 1912 record with their 6th straight loss, falling 3-1 to Forest as Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice at the Bridge.
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Chelsea hit rock bottom again, losing 3-1 to Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge. That’s six Premier League defeats in a row now, something the club hadn’t seen since 1912. Just when you thought the season couldn’t get any worse, Forest showed up with a makeshift lineup and absolutely stunned them. Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice, one barely a minute into the match, and then Igor Jesus put away a penalty, and suddenly Forest was six points clear of the drop zone.
Chelsea hadn’t scored in five games, and it looked like that streak would go on forever. Then, in stoppage time, Joao Pedro finally managed an overhead kick to break the drought. That run was made even more ridiculous earlier when Cole Palmer missed a first-half penalty. Matz Sels, Forest’s backup goalkeeper, saved it.
Honestly, the crowd in the Shed End probably barely recognised their own team. Pereira swapped in seven new outfield players, most of them with almost no league experience; he was clearly thinking about the upcoming Europa League semi-final. But it looked like Chelsea was the stranger out there.
Things only got worse for interim head coach Calum McFarlane. He lost Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho to late injuries, so 18-year-old Jesse Derry had to make his Premier League debut. Then, late in the first half, Derry collided heads with Forest’s Zach Abbott and had to be stretchered off after getting oxygen. It was brutal to watch.
The match itself? Chaos. Less than two minutes in, Chelsea messed up their own throw-in and let Forest stroll through midfield. Dilane Bakwa beat Marc Cucurella with little effort and crossed to Awoniyi, who was completely unmarked and headed it in.
Fifteen minutes later, Chelsea conceded again. Bakwa whipped in another cross; Malo Gusto pulled Awoniyi’s shirt, and VAR handed Forest a penalty. Jesus hammered it right down the middle.
The first half was hopeless, and by the end, serious concern set in after that nasty head clash between Derry and Abbott. Abbott, playing just his second league game, left on his own, but Derry needed serious treatment and was stretchered off.
After a nearly ten-minute stoppage, Palmer’s penalty was stopped by Sels. At halftime, Levi Colwill returned from a major injury he hadn’t played since tearing his ACL in August. He tried to restore order, but nothing changed.
Forest’s third goal came just seven minutes into the second half. Gibbs-White crossed, and Awoniyi tapped in from close range, just managing to stay onside. Chelsea’s keeper, Robert Sanchez, took a knock and left with a bandaged head after colliding with Gibbs-White.
Pedro’s late goal barely counted for anything. The few Chelsea fans left in the stadium cheered, but it was more out of irony than joy.
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