Palmer will not play for England – Chelsea manager Maresca

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has confirmed that attacking midfielder Cole Palmer will not play for England when they face Albania and Latvia in the World Cup qualifiers later this month.

According to Maresca, Palmer is currently injured and requires a scan.

Maresca had omitted Palmer from the Chelsea squad that lost 1-0 to Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday evening.

Mikel Merino scored the only goal of the match, securing all three points for Arsenal against the Blues.

When asked whether Palmer would be available for England in their upcoming matches, Maresca said in his post-match interview: “Cole Palmer will not play for England; he’s injured. He needs a scan.

“The scan is planned for Monday… we hope he will be back after the international break, but we will have to see. It’s a muscle problem.”

The defeat to Arsenal leaves Chelsea in fourth place, but they have played one game more than Newcastle United, who sit in sixth.

Chelsea will hope to have Palmer back for their next match against Tottenham Hotspur on 3 April.

Palmer will not play for England – Chelsea manager Maresca