Injuries Threaten Chelsea’s Squad Ahead of Nottingham Forest Match

London, England – Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca confirmed on Friday that three players are doubtful for Saturday’s match against Nottingham Forest. Cole Palmer, Benoit Badiashile, and Moises Caicedo were absent from the training session on Thursday, raising concerns about their availability.

Maresca disclosed that Palmer, who has been dealing with a groin issue since September, is expected to be sidelined for another six weeks. He has not participated in matches since aggravating his injury against Manchester United a month ago.

Badiashile is also out due to a muscular injury, which is set to keep him off the field until December. ‘Benoit will be out until December,’ Maresca said, highlighting the importance of his recovery for the team.

Caicedo’s absence from training came as a surprise, especially since he did not travel for international duty and was seen wearing a Chelsea training kit recently. Although he missed Thursday’s session, Maresca indicated they will assess his fitness post-training on Friday.

In positive news, Maresca confirmed that Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana, and Andrey Santos have returned to training and are available for selection. Adarabioyo and Fofana missed key matches against Benfica and Liverpool, but both are now fit to play against Forest.

Reece James, who withdrew from England’s World Cup qualifiers due to injury, is also ready for the match and may reach a milestone of 200 appearances for the Blues if he features on Saturday. The team is looking to build on their recent victory against Liverpool, albeit while managing the injury concerns of several key players.

‘It’s a good one (the international break) because Tosin and Fofana are back, Andrey Santos is back,’ said Maresca. He expressed optimism about the upcoming game but acknowledged the challenges posed by player absences, stating, ‘We will try our best to find solutions for the next games.’