Chelsea head to the south coast for a Saturday night clash against the Cherries
Chelsea's Cole Palmer(Image credit: Getty Images)
The Premier League returns this weekend, with Chelsea travelling down to the south coast for a Saturday evening clash against a Bournemouth team still revelling in their comeback win over Everton last time out.
Chelsea have suffered a mixed start to the new Premier League season, registering a win, a draw and a defeat so far as new boss Enzo Maresca continues to search for his best team, amid his many options.
One thing that is for sure is that Cole Palmer belongs in the Blues' best XI, but after he was withdrawn from England duty, will he be fit for the trip to Bournemouth?
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Will Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer be fit enough to play against Bournemouth on Saturday?
Cole Palmer had been selected in Lee Carsley's first England squad and travelled to St George's Park last week, only for him to withdraw before Saturday's trip to Dublin, where the Republic of Ireland were dispatched 2-0.
The Chelsea playmaker had been suffering with a hamstring issue when he was substituted during Chelsea's 2-0 win over Servette in the Europa Conference League play-off last month, with the Blues responding by leaving him out of their squad for the league phase of that competition, in order to manage the 22-year-old's workload.
This subsequent muscle fatigue was the reason for his Three Lions withdrawal, with neither club nor country wanting to risk his fitness at the this early stage of the season.
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Cole Palmer withdrew from England duty this month (Image credit: Getty Images)
This withdrawal appears to be good news for Chelsea though, as Palmer returned to training with his club on Monday and while we wait for Enzo Maresca's pre-match press conference for confirmation, the signs are promising that Palmer will return to action this weekend.
Palmer has already scored one goal and provided four assists in his five appearances for Chelsea across all competitions so far this season.
For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team.
