England and Chelsea attacker Cole Palmer will not feature in the Blues’ Carabao Cup quarter-final against Cardiff City, head coach Enzo Maresca has confirmed.
The match is set for Tuesday, December 16, at 8 pm in the Welsh capital, with a place in the semi-finals at stake.
Palmer recently returned to action after a spell out with groin and toe injuries and scored in Chelsea’s weekend victory over Everton at Stamford Bridge.
However, Maresca, in his press conference on Monday, explained that the young forward is being carefully managed to avoid overexertion.
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“I’ve already said many times in press conferences that we have many players who need to be protected. Cole is one of the players who deserves to be protected right now.
“In this moment, he’s not available to play two games in three days. So, he won’t be available for tomorrow’s game, but should be fine for the weekend,” Maresca said.
The Chelsea coach also praised Cardiff City and their manager, Brian Murphy, highlighting the challenge the Blues will face:
“They are top of the league, playing nice football and winning games. I know Brian and know he is doing a good job. This will be a dangerous game for us, and we need to pay attention and be careful tomorrow.
“We have the opportunity to achieve something important, which is to reach the semi-final of this competition.”
Chelsea will hope to progress to the last four while keeping key players fresh for the Premier League schedule.
