Chelsea took a step towards a top-eight league phase finish and a place in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 on Wednesday with a 1-0 win over tournament debutants Pafos.
Liam Rosenior's side were forced to bide their time, waiting until the 78th minute for Moises Caicedo to score the only goal of the game.
Although Chelsea's squad is stacked with youthful attacking talent, there is a notable dip in firepower when Cole Palmer is not around or isn't on top form.
This has been a problem frequently this season, with Palmer often appearing a shadow of the player whose brilliant first-half brace helped to down Paris Saint-Germain in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final in July.
Here, we look at what's going on for Palmer and what it might mean for Chelsea's battle across several fronts during the second half of this season.
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Is Cole Palmer injured?
Rosenior explained Palmer missed out on the Pafos game because he felt some tightness in his thigh. He is expected to return for Chelsea's Premier League match at Crystal Palace on January 25.
This latest lay-off for the 23-year-old comes after he completed 90 minutes and scored a game-sealing penalty in the 2-0 win over Brentford last weekend. Rosenior embraced an exhausted Palmer at the end of the game and explained that a lack of time on the training field meant his attacking playmaker had gone above and beyond.
Cole has been shortlisted for the #PL Goal of the Season award! 🥇
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 28, 2025
Vote for Palmer now! 🥶
"If you watch the last 15 minutes of the game and you watch the energy he puts into his press, his running for the team, I thought he was outstanding," the recently installed Chelsea head coach said. "It's impossible for any player or any team to be magnificent with the ball in every game, but you can still find a way to win.
"The other thing I would say about Cole, and Reece James as well, they have not trained. I couldn't play them against Arsenal [Chelsea's 3-2 home defeat in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal].
"I am so proud of them because they put themselves up and they ran themselves into the ground. They have had no training time with the knocks they picked up, which shows me a fantastic attitude, and the more games and the more training sessions they get now, the better they will perform."
Cole Palmer's reduced Chelsea playing time explained
A key flashpoint as Enzo Maresca's spell as Chelsea head coach hurtled towards a conclusion was the Italian tactician butting heads with the club's medical department over managing the playing load of first-team stars.
Chelsea have had to be particularly careful with Palmer this season on account of the groin injury that was the main reason for him being sidelined from September to December.
Before that extended lay-off, Palmer also missed Chelsea's second and third Premier League games of the season versus West Ham and Fulham due to groin soreness. He made a goal-scoring return from the bench in a 2-2 draw with Brentford before being substituted when the problem flared up more severely during a chaotic September defeat at Manchester United.
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Palmer's return from his groin injury was briefly put back a little further when he suffered a broken toe in an accident at home. That meant he could play no part in the 3-0 home win over Barcelona in the Champions League. Since his goalscoring contribution in a 3-1 defeat at Bayern Munich on the opening matchday, Palmer has not featured in Europe's top competition.
His workload continues to be carefully managed. The Brentford home game was his 13th appearance of 2025/26 and only the fourth time he had completed 90 minutes. As of January 22, he has five goals, with two of those from the penalty spot.
A thigh complaint also kept Palmer out of Rosenior's first game at the helm — a 5-1 win at Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup. When the Chelsea boss recently said, "It would be crazy for me to risk any player in this phase of the season", it was widely interpreted as a reference to Palmer.
MORE: Liam Rosenior coaching career: Style of play, tactics, clubs, more to know
How much did Chelsea pay for Cole Palmer?
Chelsea signed Palmer from Manchester City on September 1, 2023, for an initial £40 million ($50.6 million), with the deal rising to £42.5m ($53.9m)with performance-related add-ons.
Palmer came through the youth ranks at City and scored six goals in 41 appearances, with two of those coming in the month prior to his departure in the Community Shield versus Arsenal and against Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup.
However, just three of his 13 starts for Pep Guardiola's side came in the Premier League.
Does Cole Palmer have a release clause?
Palmer signed an extended contract at Chelsea in August 2024, committing himself to the Stamford Bridge club until June 2033. Despite speculation to the contrary, there is no known release clause within these terms.
In February 2025, journalist Ben Jacobs stated that Palmer nor any other Chelsea player has a contract clause that would allow them to leave for a set fee in the event of failing to qualify for the Champions League.
Rumours that Palmer might be unsettled were compounded by a January 2026 report from The Sun, which claimed the player did not enjoy London life and missed his friends back in Manchester.
In January 2024, Palmer told Sky Sports that he never wanted to leave City and Maresca was touted as a possible successor to Guardiola during the final weeks of his Chelsea reign. Similarly, such talk might pique the interest of Manchester United, who Palmer supported as a boy.