Enzo Maresca has allayed fears Cole Palmer has suffered a fresh injury setback ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League clash against Manchester United.
The Blues head to Old Trafford on the back of a disappointing Champions League defeat against Bayern Munich.
Palmer sustained a muscle injury in the warm-up ahead of last month’s victory against West Ham and was subsequently ruled out of England’s World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.
The 23-year-old made a goalscoring return as a second half substitute against Brentford last week and was on target again at the Allianz Arena on his first start since the opening day of the campaign.
Palmer was seen clutching his groin during the closing stages against Bayern, sparking fears he could be set for another spell on the sidelines.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow evening’s match, Maresca confirmed Palmer was ‘okay’ and likely to feature in the match.
On the fitness of his squad, he added: ‘We have a session now and flew back yesterday so we need to assess some of the players.
Get expert fantasy football tips
Hi, I’m Phil Haigh, Metro’s resident FPL expert.
Like many of you, I spend a lot of time poring over expected goals and minutes stats to make sure I have the best possible FPL team.
And I share some of my top tips each week in our football newsletter: In The Mixer.
So sign up here if you want to make sure you’re top of your private leagues and avoid any forfeits that come with finishing last!
‘There are some doubts but we haven’t done any sessions after Wednesday’s game so we will see after.’
Chelsea fans, meanwhile, have seen only fleeting glimpses of new signing Alejandro Garnacho in action so far.
The winger is set to face Untied for the first time since his acrimonious exit last month and Maresca insists the Argentina international is now ready to make his first start.
He said: ‘In the last two games, he came on and did very good.
‘We are happy with how he is adapting in our style and what we want for our winger.
‘If he is ready to start tomorrow? I think he is ready to start.’
MORE: Alan Shearer’s Premier League predictions including Man Utd vs Chelsea
MORE: Roberto Di Matteo’s Man Utd vs Chelsea prediction with three stars to decide match
MORE: Joe Cole names two Premier League clubs among his Champions League favourites
