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.
WHY CHELSEA ARE BETTING ON LIAM DELAP’S LONG-TERM STAMFORD BRIDGE FUTURE
Not for sale: Discover why Chelsea is blocking Everton's move for Liam Delap and Rosenior's plans for the Arsenal derby.
Chelsea have some thinking to do about Liam Delap’s future at Stamford Bridge this summer. They really don’t want to let him go, even though Everton are sniffing around, according to Football Insider. The club just isn’t interested in selling; they want Delap around for next season. He’s signed until June 2031, so there’s no rush.
Right now, Chelsea sits fifth in the Premier League after 27 games. They’re just ahead of Liverpool on goal difference. Last time out, they drew 1-1 at home with Burnley. Not exactly the result they wanted.
Chelsea only picked up Delap from Ipswich Town last year. He was brought in to give their attack a boost, add some competition, and deepen the squad up front. The 23-year-old has played 25 times in all competitions this season, with 18 league appearances. He’s only managed two goals and four assists so far – not exactly lighting it up – but there’s still time for him to find his feet.
Delap’s taken the long road already. He started at Derby County, then joined Manchester City’s youth setup in 2019. He only made six first-team appearances for City, but he got loan moves to Stoke, Preston, and Hull in the Championship to toughen up and get more minutes. Ipswich signed him permanently in 2024, and then Chelsea came calling.
So, what’s next after that frustrating draw with Burnley? Chelsea have to head to the Emirates to face Arsenal this weekend. After the Burnley game, Liam Rosenior didn’t mince words. He said, “We’ve basically thrown away four points in two home games. That’s not good enough for a club like this. It’s not enough to just play well; we have to win. I know what needs to change, and we’ll work on it this week. Every game is an inquest, win or lose. I’m learning which players you can rely on when things get tough, and we need to fix that fast.”
WHY WESLEY FOFANA BELIEVES FOOTBALL’S ANTI-RACISM CAMPAIGNS ARE FAILING IN 2026
Football faces a crisis. Discover why Wesley Fofana and Hannibal Mejbri are demanding action after a weekend of racist abuse.
Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana didn’t hold back after he and Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri were hit with racist abuse following Saturday’s 1-1 draw. “Nothing changes,” he wrote. “People are never punished.” Both players shared screenshots of the nasty messages sent to them on Instagram, just hours after the match at Stamford Bridge.
This all happened only days after UEFA started looking into Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior’s claims that Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni racially abused him during a Champions League game in Lisbon. That match had to be stopped for ten minutes after Vinicius, clearly shaken, refused to play on. Prestianni tried to cover his mouth with his shirt during the incident, but the damage was already done.
Back to Saturday night, Fofana, who’d been sent off late in the game for two yellow cards, posted some of the abuse he received and didn’t mince words: “2026, it’s still the same thing. These people are never punished. You create big campaigns against racism, but nobody actually does anything.” Mejbri also shared the messages he got, adding, “It’s 2026, and there are still people like that. Educate yourself and your kids, please.”
Chelsea responded quickly, calling the abuse “completely unacceptable” and saying it goes against everything the club stands for. “There is no room for racism,” they said. “We stand unequivocally with Wes. He has our full support, as do all our players who are too often forced to endure this hatred simply for doing their job. We will work with the authorities and platforms to find the people responsible and take the strongest action.”
Burnley echoed the sentiment: “There is no place for this in our society, and we condemn it unreservedly.”
Football’s handling of racism has been under the microscope lately, especially after what happened in Lisbon. Benfica manager Jose Mourinho stirred things up further by accusing Vinicius of provoking the incident, while the Portuguese club claimed their player was the victim of a defamation campaign.
As for the game itself, Chelsea looked set for a win until Burnley’s Zian Flemming headed in a stoppage-time equaliser, right after Fofana’s red card left Chelsea down a man. Fofana was sent off in the 72nd minute for a late challenge on James Ward-Prowse. Earlier, Joao Pedro’s fourth-minute goal seemed to put Liam Rosenior’s side on track for victory, but like so many times this season, they couldn’t finish off Scott Parker’s struggling team. The match ended all square, but the bigger story was what happened off the pitch.
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