With their away win over Burnley at the weekend, Chelsea are now second in the Premier League. Of course, there is a considerable gap between them and Arsenal, who the Blues will welcome to Stamford Bridge next weekend. Even then, it is impressive what they have been able to achieve in the absence of Cole Palmer.
Now, there is no doubt that they are a better team with Palmer in it. But Chelsea have found ways to win without him lately, even if the performances have not always been convincing. One could argue that it has been a relatively easy run of fixtures.
Things are about to get a lot tougher though. Chelsea will face Barcelona in midweek and Arsenal next weekend. The hope was that Palmer would be back to fitness for both those games. But just when he was closing in on a return from his groin issue, he ended up suffering a small fracture on his little toe.
Naturally, his return date has been pushed back. But for how much longer? That is the question on Chelsea fans' minds. While we do not have an exact answer, there is some insight into what the Blues are hoping for.
Cole Palmer's new return date for Chelsea after toe injury
As reported by The Telegraph, Chelsea are hoping his comeback will not be delayed too long and Palmer’s left boot has been adapted. The hope is that it will allow him to return to the grass next week and that he may be able to play in it. The club hope that if all goes well, the Englishman could return in time for the game against Leeds United on December 3 or the one against Bournemouth on December 6.
At this point, it feels like that is the best that Chelsea fans can hope for. At the same time, it is also important to make sure that Palmer's return is not rushed. Nobody wants to see him pick up another injury that will force him to spend another spell on the sidelines in what has been a stop-start season for the Englishman.
Palmer himself will be keen to return as soon as possible as well. He has rarely been involved for England in recent times and if this continues, Thomas Tuchel will have a decision to make going into the World Cup with the Three Lions having a lot of quality options in the number 10 position.