Cole Palmer Chelsea return date, medics' decision and noticeable change

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Cole Palmer could be back in action for Chelsea's Champions League clash with Barcelona come Tuesday, November 25, after waiting in the wings for two months. The Englishman has been absent from Chelsea's last 11 outings after limping off during the club's loss to Manchester United in September.

Instead of managing his ongoing groin pain, the club opted for a full recovery period. Surgery was never seriously considered, with Palmer seeking advice from several specialists while receiving treatment at the club.

According to The Telegraph , Palmer is eager to secure a spot in England's World Cup squad next summer. Thomas Tuchel has reportedly maintained contact with both Chelsea and the player over recent months.

Since Tuchel replaced interim coach Lee Carsley earlier this year, Palmer has only been part of one squad. This was during the summer when he started the 1-0 win over Andorra at Villa Park.

In the following friendly against Senegal, Palmer remained on the bench. He has only played in three of England's 16 matches since the European Championship final last summer.

Tuchel recently discussed the wealth of talent he has at his disposal, particularly in Palmer's position. He said: "Especially in the number ten position, if you think about Phil [Foden] , who could play there, if you think about Jude [Bellingham] , you think about Morgan Rogers, who played fantastic for us in this position.

"You have Cole Palmer, you have Morgan Gibbs-White , so there are a lot of players, and there's the chance that we will not take everyone to the World Cup ."

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Enzo Maresca was rather elusive when providing his latest update on the 23-year-old at the end of October. He said: "With Cole, the plan is exactly the same. We will wait, and hopefully he can be back soon."

Maresca had previously detailed his plan earlier in the month. The Blues boss said: "Unfortunately, he needs to be out for probably six more weeks.

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"This is the update. We try to protect Cole as much as we can, and the most important thing is that when he comes back, he is fully fit.

"We hope the six weeks will be enough, but it's a problem that we need to look at step by step, week by week, but for sure he is going to be okay."

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