Enzo Maresca gives Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia injury update ahead of Man City vs Chelsea
Today at 07:18 AM
Enzo Maresca has suggested that Cole Palmer is not ‘100 per cent fit’ ahead of Chelsea’s huge Premier League clash at Manchester City.
Chelsea travel to the Etihad on Saturday evening for what could prove to be a pivotal game in the race for the top four.
The Blues are currently fourth in the table, four points behind Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, and just two points ahead of the Citizens.
A run of just one win in six over the new year appears to have ended their title challenge, but qualifying for the Champions League has always been the main aim and victory at struggling City would go a long way to ensure that.
But they’ll have to do that with their star player playing through the pain barrier, after it was revealed that Palmer had suffered a minor ankle injury last week.
The attacking midfielder managed to play 84 minutes of the 3-1 win over Wolves on Monday night, and should be fit to start against his former club on Saturday.
But when asked if Palmer was ‘100 per cent fit’, Maresca said in his pre-match press conference: ‘He is better, he is better. He did an unbelievable effort to play against Wolves and he is getting better.’
Though Maresca has been able to welcome back a couple of players, Chelsea still have a number of fitness issues with Romeo Lavia suffering yet another injury setback.
‘Probably Levi Colwill and Enzo Fernandez, they can be available. It depends on today’s session. Romeo will be out,’ the Blues head coach added.
‘We don’t know [how long Lavia will be out] yet. We will wait a little bit more. At least I think a few weeks more.’
If accurate, Lavia could also miss league clashes against West Ham and Brighton as well as the FA Cup fourth-round tie at the Seagulls.
Like Palmer, the 21-year-old came through City’s academy and would have no doubt relished the chance to take on his former club.
Former Premier League defender Michael Dawson even recently suggested that the Belgian midfielder would have been an ideal player for Pep Guardiola right now following City’s recent struggles.
‘Lavia's one who would have been perfect for Manchester City and the way they play with Rodri being out,’ he said on Sky Sports.
'I love what he's done, went to Southampton, brilliant. He then had numerous hamstring injuries, gone to Chelsea and struggled a bit with injuries.
'But when we see him he is a perfect fit for Manchester City, but they have seen these players in the building, and obviously thought they're a long way away from our first-team so they bring someone else in.’
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