Chelsea to assess Cole Palmer groin injury as Blues face nervous wait | OneFootball

The Blues star was forced to pull out of Friday’s win at West Ham

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Chelsea will further assess Cole Palmer’s groin injury this week as the Blues talisman waits to learn whether he faces a spell on the sidelines.

The midfielder was spotted holding his groin minutes before kick-off, and was quickly escorted to the dressing room with a member of Chelsea's backroom staff.

Teenage star Estevao was named as a replacement at short notice, being handed his first start, and went on to register an assist as Palmer watched on from the bench.

Enzo Maresca claimed before the game that Palmer’s withdrawal was a “precautionary” measure, but revealed after that Palmer had been struggling with the issue since before the season started and played through the problem during the 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace the previous weekend.

“Cole, in the last four or five days, was not 100 per cent,” Maresca said in his press conference after victory at the London Stadium. “Today, he tried to warm up, but he felt something. So we prefer not to take any risk to get worse.

“Already probably [the] Palace game that he was not 100 per cent. But he is trying to make a big effort for the club, for the team, for the fans. Tonight, he tried again. But it was not very good.”

Palmer, who on Monday attended the Notting Hill Carnival in disguise, will now be assessed by Chelsea’s medical team.

Chelsea are next in action on Saturday, as they host Fulham in the Saturday lunchtime kick-off.