Chelsea are hosting Barcelona at Stamford Bridge tonight for Matchday 5 of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League in a crucial duel where both teams are eager to keep pace with the group leaders. For this important match, the home team will be without Cole Palmer, a significant loss for the London side. Follow Chelsea vs Barcelona live with us!
Cole Palmer will be unavailable for this contest as he is recovering from a fractured toe he sustained during an accident at home. However, during the pre-match press conference, manager Enzo Maresca shared positive details about the star’s rehabilitation.
“Cole is wearing a boot,” Maresca told reporters, according to the official Chelsea website. “We don’t know when [he will be back to full fitness], but it will be soon. He is already on the pitch and already touching the ball. The feeling is good”.
The Italian manager also confirmed that Palmer will miss the next Premier League duel against Arsenal. “At the moment, we are only looking at tomorrow’s game. It’s a Champions League game against Barcelona, that is our focus and then we will look ahead to Arsenal. I don’t think he will be available for these two games, but he is doing well,” Maresca added.
When could Palmer be back?
The Italian coach confirmed that Palmer will also be out for the crucial Premier League clash against Arsenal on Sunday, November 30th, but suggested his return is close. Based on this timeline, the English midfielder could potentially be back when Chelsea face Leeds on the road on Wednesday, December 5th.
Palmer was an essential piece in Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup victory and is an undisputed starter in Maresca’s system, having tallied 49 goals and 29 assists in 101 appearances.
He has only participated in four games this current season after initially dealing with groin problems, during which time he managed to score two goals. In Palmer’s absence, the young Brazilian prospect Estevao has stepped in to fill the void, and he has done so impressively.
Estevao is currently Chelsea’s top scorer in the Champions League this season with two goals, scoring in each of his first two starts in the competition. He could become the second-youngest player to score in each of his first three starts, trailing only Kylian Mbappe, who achieved the feat for Monaco in 2017.