Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca admits Cole Palmer had already been playing through injury before last-minute dropout from Blues’ XI against West Ham

Enzo Maresca has admitted that Cole Palmer has been carrying the injury that forced him out of Chelsea’s thumping victory over West Ham for some time. In a dramatic pre-match twist, the England international was removed from the Blues’ starting line-up just moments before kick-off. After the game, the head coach revealed that Palmer was dealing with a groin issue that had been bothering him in the lead up to the Premier League fixture.