Things went awry soon after the second half kickoff however, as a poor touch from Andrey Santos let Brighton in behind and in an attempt to recover the position, Trevoh Chalobah’s foul was deemed a d...

Chelsea will look to recover from a challenging week as they welcome Brighton to Stamford Bridge this afternoon.

There are problems at the back with Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana both ruled out today.

Purely based on the numbers, Chelsea’s nerves over Palmer’s injury absence should be eased. They have won 14 of their 17 matches without him since the 23-year-old’s debut on September 2, 2023. The Blues have been victorious in all three matches they have played without him this term, beating West Ham United, Fulham and, most recently, Lincoln City.

"We have decided to protect Cole, in terms of not getting a worse injury. We have decided to rest him for the next two or three weeks - until [after the] international break - to see if he can recove...

‘I don’t think he needs surgery. It’s just a matter of managing the pain in his groin.’