Chelsea have been forced to replace Cole Palmer minutes before kick-off against West Ham.
Chelsea suffered a blow just before kickoff against West Ham as attacking midfielder Cole Palmer was forced out of the starting XI due to an injury sustained during the warm-up. Manager Enzo Maresca confirmed that Palmer left the pitch after being treated by the club’s medical staff at the London Stadium.
In his place, winger Estevao Willian was handed his first Premier League start. The Brazilian had impressed during his cameo off the bench in Chelsea’s 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace on Sunday, bringing energy and creativity to the attack.
The exact details of Palmer’s injury have not yet been disclosed, but his withdrawal is a significant concern for the Blues ahead of what promises to be a challenging match. Matters quickly went from bad to worse for Chelsea when Lucas Paquetá opened the scoring for West Ham in the sixth minute. The Brazilian midfielder picked up the ball in midfield, drove into the penalty area, and unleashed a thunderous strike from 25 yards into the top right corner, leaving goalkeeper Robert Sánchez with no chance.
Chelsea will now need to reorganize their attacking setup while assessing Palmer’s condition as the game—and the season—progresses.
Chelsea responded quickly after falling behind, leveling the score just nine minutes later through João Pedro, who powered a close-range header from a corner. The game’s momentum swung back and forth when Niclas Fullkrug thought he had given West Ham the lead at the other end, but VAR intervened to rule the goal out for offside.
Chelsea eventually took the lead in the 25th minute, with Pedro Neto volleying home a precise cross from João Pedro at the back post, giving the Blues a 2-1 advantage.
The match also highlighted Chelsea’s reliance on Cole Palmer, who has been their standout performer over the past two Premier League seasons, netting 37 goals and registering 19 assists. Palmer has been remarkably consistent, missing only a handful of games—two due to illness (coinciding with away trips to Arsenal that ended in 1-0 and 5-0 losses) and one enforced absence for hitting the yellow card threshold against Crystal Palace in December 2023, a match Chelsea won 2-1.
His absence against West Ham underscores just how pivotal he has been to Chelsea’s attacking output, making his warm-up injury a significant concern for manager Enzo Maresca.
