Chelsea handed major Cole Palmer boost ahead of Champions League clash vs Barcelona
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Chelsea star midfielder Cole Palmer has returned to the training pitch at Cobham ahead of big fixtures in late November, according to reports.
The 23-year-old has nursed the persistent groin injury since pre-season.
After making just four appearances for Chelsea this season, the club decided to allow him to recover instead of managing his minutes.
He last featured for Chelsea in September and was forced off after just 21 minutes in the defeat to Manchester United.
Head coach Enzo Maresca previously made it clear, while the club would love to have the creative midfielder back by the time they host Barcelona on November 25, it was not a definite target.
"We hope so, but with Cole, we try to schedule the beginning, and then we need to review that," the Italian said a couple of weeks ago when asked if Palmer would be available for the Barcelona match.
"We go day by day with Cole. He is not taking any sessions with the team."
The good news is that, according to The Telegraph, Palmer has made his return to the grass at Chelsea's Cobham training ground and will step up his work barring any setbacks.
This suggests the England international is likely still on individual training sessions, but if true, it remains a positive development.
The report adds that Chelsea never considered surgery as a solution to Palmer's groin pain, and the winger himself has already consulted several specialists in addition to being treated by the club's medical department.
For now, the target reportedly remains the Champions League clash with Barcelona, but if Palmer does not quite make it, Palmer will hope to make his return against Arsenal five days later.
Gerry Crisandy is a freelance writer who has covered Chelsea for many years. His work has been published on The Chelsea Chronicle and Pride of London. He grew up idolising Michael Ballack and is a firm believer in expected goals.