Chelsea are sweating on the fitness of Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Leeds United at Wembley – and with Estevao already ruled out for the season, the injury news at Cobham makes for uncomfortable reading.
Both Palmer and Pedro missed Tuesday’s 3-0 collapse against Brighton, a result that ended Liam Rosenior’s spell in charge and left interim head coach Callum McFarlane picking up the pieces. The good news is that both players are back on the training pitch. The bad news is that nothing is confirmed yet.
McFarlane has been refreshingly straightforward about where things stand, but Chelsea fans will have to sit tight until after Saturday’s session before anyone knows for certain who lines up at Wembley.
Cole Palmer: Back in Training but Decision Delayed
Palmer has been Chelsea’s most important attacking player this season, and his absence from recent fixtures has exposed just how heavily Chelsea depend on him. He played the full 90 minutes against Manchester United on April 18 before picking up the knock that ruled him out of the Brighton defeat.
The encouraging update is that he has returned to training and McFarlane is hopeful he can feature. Speaking ahead of the semi-final, the interim boss said: “Joao and Cole have trained. They’re in a good place. We don’t know yet. We’ve got another day tomorrow where we’ll look at that and make a decision. Yes we hope [they could both start]. They’ll train tomorrow and we’ll make a call.”
That is about as optimistic as Chelsea could have hoped for given the circumstances. Whether McFarlane risks him from the start or eases him in from the bench remains the key question.
Joao Pedro Fitness Concern Ahead of Wembley
Joao Pedro has been outstanding since his move to Chelsea, leading the club’s scoring charts with an impressive tally across all competitions this season. Like Palmer, he sat out the Brighton defeat – the worst possible time to be unavailable given what was at stake.
The update on the Brazilian forward mirrors Palmer’s situation: he has returned to training and is being assessed. McFarlane did not rule either player out, which is the most positive spin Chelsea can put on the Premier League injury situation currently engulfing their squad.
A fit Pedro alongside Palmer would transform Chelsea’s attacking options for Sunday. Without both, the burden falls on a threadbare group that failed to score in the Brighton humiliation.
Estevao Out for the Season – And the Wider Injury Crisis
Whatever relief comes from the Palmer and Pedro news, it is tempered by the confirmation that Estevao will not play again this season. The winger suffered a serious hamstring injury against Manchester United and McFarlane confirmed: “Estevao unfortunately won’t play for us this season. He’ll be out for a little bit of time. But we’re here to support him.”
When pressed on whether the Brazilian could recover in time for the World Cup, McFarlane was honest: “I’m not sure on that if I’m honest. He won’t be available for us. I’m sure he’s very hopeful he can make the World Cup but I don’t know on that.”
Levi Colwill, Reece James, Jamie Gittens, and Filip Jorgensen are also sidelined, leaving Chelsea’s squad stretched across the board. It is a difficult moment for a club already navigating serious off-field pressures, and the last thing McFarlane needs is to walk into an FA Cup semi-final short of his best players.
Leeds United, meanwhile, arrive at Wembley with plenty of their own motivation. Their season has been a battle on multiple fronts, and they will fancy their chances against a Chelsea side that has looked vulnerable in recent weeks.
The final call on Palmer and Pedro comes after Saturday’s training session. If both are passed fit, Chelsea look a different proposition entirely. If either – or both – are ruled out, McFarlane faces a selection headache he could really do without. Wembley on Sunday just got a lot more interesting.
