Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer limped off injured during England Under-21s’ 9-1 thumping of Serbia on Thursday.
Palmer, who has enjoyed an impressive start to life at Chelsea since his £45m move from Manchester City, managed just over 50 minutes off the game – in which fellow Blue Noni Madueke netted a brace – before heading to the bench.
Fortunately for Chelsea fans, manager Lee Carsley played down the severity of Palmer’s injury and admitted the 21-year-old will not be risked for Monday’s game against Ukraine unless he is 100% healthy.
“There are a few bumps and bruises and we will monitor Cole but we will not be taking any chances,” Carsley said.
Asked for a specific diagnosis, Carsley added: “It’s a dead leg.”
While further checks will be conducted, the initial belief is that Palmer has avoided any significant injury and Chelsea will be hopeful of having the midfielder available when they return to Premier League action against Arsenal on October 21.
Injuries have been a massive problem for Chelsea in recent weeks, with Mauricio Pochettino forced to cope without close to half of his squad due to various issues.
Striker Armando Broja, who missed close to a full year with a knee injury, managed four appearances for Chelsea before jetting off for international duty with Albania, where he suffered a scare of his own.
“He was with the team for only two days,” Albania boss Sylvinho revealed. “After consulting with our doctors and Chelsea’s, he can’t make it, he won’t be ready.”
Fellow forward Nicolas Jackson has also undergone surgery on a hand injury but is expected to be fit enough to face Arsenal.
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