Cole Palmer: Chelsea forward breaks toe in accident at home and will miss next three matches

Cole Palmer has broken a toe in an accident at home and will miss the next three Chelsea games against Burnley, Barcelona and Arsenal.

Palmer stubbed his little toe on his left foot against a door.

The forward had been set to return to the field after being out since September with a groin injury.

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca says "for sure" Palmer will be unavailable for the games with Burnley, Barcelona and Arsenal.

• Chelsea fixtures & scores | FREE Chelsea highlights▶️
• Got Sky? Watch Chelsea games LIVE on your phone?
• Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW?

"Unfortunately, he had an accident at home where he hit his toe but it is nothing important - but he won't be back in the next week," said the Blues boss.

When asked how long Palmer could now be missing, Maresca added: "We don't know. [His toe] It's fractured. The only thing we know: he is not available for this week and next week."

Expanding on the injury, Maresca said: "The last time I saw him was [Thursday] morning and he was without socks, without flip-flops, without nothing. He wasn't limping too much.

"He was walking OK but the problem is it is the small toe. The contact with the boot can be a bit painful."

Palmer's groin injury has restricted him to just three Premier League appearances this season. He was forced off after just 21 minutes on his last appearance at Manchester United and has been unavailable for Chelsea or England since. Palmer had returned to training at Cobham before suffering his toe injury.

Maresca: I feel much better with Palmer on the pitch

Since that 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford, Chelsea have won four and lost two in the league in Palmer's absence. They sit third in the Premier League table, six points off leaders Arsenal.

On playing without Palmer, Maresca said: "The team prefer it when Cole is playing, I feel much better with Cole on the pitch but when he is not we need to find solutions.

"The team is doing fantastic, really well. For any manager, it's nice when you miss a player but the team still plays in the way you want it to."

Analysis: Palmer nursing another injury as huge games loom

Analysis from Sky Sports News' Gail Davis:

"It didn't come as much of a surprise that the headline to come out of the Chelsea press conference was injury related, given the season they have had, but I am not sure too many had predicted the little left toe of Cole Palmer was going to dominate the narrative in quite the way it did.

"Palmer had stubbed it on a door. We can feel his pain - we have all done it - but when you have been out with a groin problem since the end of September and are very close to being fit with the prospect of a return against Barcelona and Arsenal, it's the last thing he and Chelsea would have wanted.

"Chelsea have proved they can do it without their star man since he went off against Manchester United. A win over Burnley would leave them only three points behind the league leaders Arsenal, but there is no doubt they would rather have their talisman.

"There is no doubt either that Palmer is desperate to be out there. He has proven he can perform on the biggest of stages for both Chelsea and England, but competition for Thomas Tuchel's squad ahead of next summer's World Cup is hotting up with some big names likely to miss out.

"Maresca says he has no doubt Palmer would get into any international team in the world - a bit of consolation for Palmer as he nurses his latest injury."

Maresca plays down prospect of Disasi first-team involvement

Defender Axel Disasi, part of Chelsea's so-called 'bomb squad' with fellow exile Raheem Sterling, has been training with the first team over the international break.

But head coach Maresca has ruled out the prospect of reintegrating the Frenchman into the first-team squad.

"Axel is helping the second team, he's helping young players," said Maresca.

"During the international break we had just five, six players here, so we needed some second-team players, and Axel was part of some sessions with second-team players, but I think it was just one session.

"At the moment he's helping the second team, he's working with the second team, and he's there with the second team.

"He's a Chelsea player and he's with the second team. Raheem, again, he's a Chelsea player and he's in the same situation."

Maresca also confirmed defender Benoit Badiashile could return against Burnley after a muscle problem.

Chelsea's next five fixtures

Burnley (A) - Saturday November 22, 12.30pm, Premier League

Barcelona (H) - Tuesday November 25, 8pm, Champions League

Arsenal (H) - Sunday November 30, 4.30pm, Premier League - live on Sky Sports

Leeds (A) - Wednesday December 3, 8.15pm, Premier League - live on Sky Sports

Bournemouth (A) - Saturday December 6, 3pm, Premier League

(c) Sky Sports 2025: Cole Palmer: Chelsea forward breaks toe in accident at home and will miss next three matches