Cole Palmer drops clear Chelsea dressing room message ahead of Burnley clash
Cole Palmer could be in line to feature for Chelsea this weekend after he hinted at an imminent return to action on his Instagram story.
The Blues’ talisman has notched 37 Premier League goals during his two full campaigns at Stamford Bridge, but injuries have drastically limited his impact so far this season.
Palmer has been out of action for Chelsea since the middle of September with a groin problem, but the England international ultimately didn’t need surgery to correct the problem.
Enzo Maresca’s men have been in fine form of late, having lost just one of their last nine games in all competitions, and they now look set to be boosted by the return of their key man.
Cole Palmer shares Chelsea dressing room photo on his Instagram story
Chelsea expected Palmer’s injury to keep him out for weeks rather than days, and that has been proven correct as his recovery has played out of late.
The 23-year-old has already missed 11 matches since he was substituted after just 21 minutes in September’s defeat to Manchester United, but there now finally appears to be light at the end of the tunnel for him.
| Stats | Palmer Total | Team Rank |
| Goal Contributions | 23 | 1st |
| Shots on Target per 90 | 1.4 | 1st |
| Mins per Goal | 213 | 1st |
| Chances Created | 24 | 1st |
| Key Passes per 90 | 2.5 | 1st |
| Successful Dribbles per 90 | 1.4 | =2nd |
The former Manchester City starlet posted a photo on his Instagram story on Wednesday that suggests a return could soon be in the pipeline for him.
Palmer shared a picture of himself sitting in the dressing room at Stamford Bridge, accompanied by three emojis of a sand timer, hinting that his latest involvement for Chelsea could be just around the corner.
Maresca’s men face a trip to Turf Moor to take on Burnley in the early kick-off on Saturday, and the he will be desperately hoping that the attacking midfielder is fit enough to play a part in the matchday squad.
Palmer may face race against time to make the World Cup squad
Palmer would have been a shoo-in for Thomas Tuchel’s England squad prior to his injury, but his recent lay-off is likely to have set his World Cup hopes back.
It was suggested back in October that the youngster’s lay-off had seen him fall down the pecking order, given the wealth of quality options that Tuchel has at his disposal.
As a result, Palmer immediately finds himself under pressure to perform and create for his team when he returns to the fold, as time is running out for him to stake a serious claim to his international manager.
With England’s qualifying campaign now concluded, there is just one international break remaining before Tuchel’s group will line up for their warm-up games ahead of the tournament.
For Palmer and the rest of the England hopefuls, that means there is effectively just one chance remaining to catch the boss’ eye.