'It was not very good' - Enzo Maresca drops update on Cole Palmer's injury

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Cole Palmer was forced out of the starting XI in their 5-1 win over West Ham after suffering a groin problem in the warm-up.

Palmer, who had initially been named in the lineup at the London Stadium, was replaced by teenager Estevão Willian after pulling up during preparations.

Speaking after the game, Maresca admitted the 22-year-old forward had been struggling for several days.

He said, “Cole in the last four or five days was not one hundred per cent.

“Today he tried in the warm-up, but he felt something, so we preferred not to take any risks and make it worse. We will see in the next hours if it’s something important or not.”

The Italian revealed that Palmer was also not fully fit for the match against Crystal Palace but pushed himself to feature.

“It’s a groin problem. It’s already the Palace game he was not one hundred per cent for, but he has tried to make a big effort for the club, for the team, for the fans, because he is really keen about the team. Tonight he tried again but it was not very good,” he added.

Chelsea will now anxiously await medical updates to determine whether their talisman will be available for upcoming fixtures.