Chelsea fans were left stunned this week after the club confirmed that star man Cole Palmer had suffered a bizarre setback just as he was nearing a long-awaited return. And according to head coach Enzo Maresca, the news arrived in the most dramatic fashion possible.

Palmer, who had been edging closer to full fitness after a groin issue, was expected to rejoin training on Thursday. Chelsea had earmarked next week’s clash with Barcelona and the upcoming Premier League showdown with Arsenal as potential return dates. But everything changed on Wednesday night — and in the most unexpected way.
Maresca revealed he first learned of the incident via a late-night message from the club doctor.

“It was 11pm at night,” Maresca said. “When you receive a message from the doctor at 11pm at night, it’s always bad news. I saw my mobile, it was the doctor, and he just said, ‘Cole has had an accident at home’.

“I was next to my wife. I said: ‘Oh my god!’ My wife was saying: ‘What’s happened? What’s happened?’ It was like this. I’m not joking, I’m serious!”

“I wake up many times during the night to go to the toilet. I hit my head, my legs, my everything, so it can happen. He was very close. He was back with us almost with the groin and it was very good news, and then, again, he had this small problem.”

When asked if he will have to manage Cole’s groin injury through the season too, he said:

“Hopefully not, but I don’t know. I’m not going to say yes or no; I don’t know.

“The plan for Cole was to take part in a session on Thursday. He was ready. Unfortunately, the day before, the accident happened.”