Cole Palmer is set to be out for another six weeks(Image: Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto)

Pat Nevin believes Cole Palmer's injury was inevitable due to Chelsea's "bizarre" pre-season in the summer. The Blues' involvement in the Club World Cup meant Enzo Maresca had a 13-day period to work with his players before the 2025/26 campaign got underway.

Palmer is set to be out for another six weeks, with Maresca confirming the nightmare scenario for Chelsea during Friday morning's pre-Nottingham Forest press conference. The 23-year-old has made just four appearances for the Blues in all competitions this term due to a groin problem that has been bothering him since August.

It is not just Palmer on the injury list for Chelsea. Liam Delap could return next month from a long-term hamstring problem, Dario Essugo is due to be out until December after having surgery on a thigh problem, while Levi Colwill is set to be sidelined for the majority of the campaign after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in pre-season.

Benoit Badiashile is a fresh injury after the 24-year-old Frenchman suffered a muscular problem during the second-half...