Palmer and Fofana available for Everton match as Chelsea look for consistency

Cole Palmer and Wesley Fofana will be available for Chelsea’s home Premier League match against Everton on Saturday, but Liam Delap will be on the sidelines for two to four weeks due to a shoulder injury, manager Enzo Maresca told reporters.

Chelsea, seeking their first win in the English top flight since last month’s trip to Burnley, are aiming to shake off a midweek Champions League defeat to Atalanta where centre-back Fofana was forced off with an eye injury.

Attacking midfielder Palmer, recently back from a six-week absence due to groin problems and a broken toe, was left out of the trip to Atalanta as part of his recovery process.

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«(Palmer) is okay. He’s doing better. He’s available at the moment… yesterday he ended the session with us with mixed feelings. But overall he’s doing well,» Maresca said Friday.

«Wesley is doing well. He completed the session yesterday.»

Maresca said striker Delap, who hurt his shoulder in last weekend’s goalless draw against Bournemouth, needs more time to heal.

«It could be two, three or four weeks. We don’t know exactly how many days he will need,» he said.

Chelsea, winless in their last four games, are struggling to recapture the form of earlier this season when they won nine of 11 games in all competitions between late September and November, including a 3-0 win over Barcelona.

Maresca said consistency was the “next step” for Chelsea as they sit fifth in the Premier League.

«How do we do that? It only lasts a week, it’s not long, but if something happens, you will definitely be better prepared for the next match and you can avoid it,» he said.

“On a human level it is impossible to stay at the same level throughout the season, but we have to learn things for the future.”

Published on December 12, 2025