Cole Palmer meeting held as Enzo Maresca sweats over major Chelsea injury news

Chelsea staff held a meeting on Monday afternoon to determine the next steps for Cole Palmer after the England international's latest injury blow.

Palmer limped off just 21 minutes into the Blues' 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on Saturday evening after feeling pain in his groin. The 23-year-old had passed a late fitness test on the morning of the game, with Enzo Maresca hailing it a "fantastic effort" from his star player to take part at Old Trafford.

However, risking Palmer may come back to bite Chelsea, with the extent of his latest injury not known just yet. Maresca and the club's medical staff held a meeting on Monday afternoon to discuss what is next for Palmer, while also revealing there are concerns over Joao Pedro's fitness.

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"We need to protect Cole for sure, 100%," Maresca said when football.london asked the Chelsea head coach whether a spell out of the squad, even if he wants to play, may be the best option to protect Palmer. "Not only Cole in my personal view, because as I said now, because of the Club World Cup or because we never stop.

"We need to manage and protect different players. For sure Cole is one of them. Another one is Moi [Caicedo]. Joao Pedro also, since he joined us, he's playing every game. The solution with Cole, I don't know.

"Now we have a meeting with the medical staff and we decide the best solution for him. But it's also a kind of injury that is not like black and white. It's not an injury that someday you can be better. It's not that you are playing and tomorrow you disappear.

"Sometimes you can be better, sometimes you can be worse. That's why we need to manage day by day."

Palmer is a big doubt for Tuesday evening’s Carabao Cup tie away at Lincoln City, with Chelsea looking to avoid an upset against the League One side.

Robert Sanchez will serve his one-match suspension following his red card against Man United at the weekend, with Filip Jorgensen set to start in goal. The third round tie comes too soon for Chelsea duo Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile, who are closing in on their returns from lengthy absences due to muscular problems.