Cole Palmer raised concerns that his return to the pitch may be further away than initially announced after appearing to be hurt when one of his team-mates jumped on him while celebrating victory over Liverpool.
Palmer, who is carrying a groin injury, watched from the stands as his Chelsea side snatch all three points away from the visitors at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night.
In the moments before Sky Sports cut back to the studio, footage showed new recruit Jorrel Hato playfully jumping on Palmer as he made his way off the pitch.
Palmer appeared somewhat distressed. The talismanic Blues midfielder appeared to move his hand to the affected area, and wince in pain.
The 23-year-old last featured in the Blues’ chaotic defeat to Manchester United, but was forced off early in the first-half.
Maresca has previously suggested Palmer might return after the upcoming international break. But supporters feared worse news may be on the horizon after the new clip emerged on Saturday evening.
Cole Palmer encountered Jorrel Hato after the final whistle and his reaction was less than impressed
The talismanic Chelsea star has been forced to watch from the sidelines amid a groin issue
Fans took to social media to share their concerns, with one writing: ‘Hato added another month to his groin.’
Another shared: ‘It doesn’t look good at all’, while a third stressed: ‘This is not a good sign… surgery would solve the problem once and for all and in good time’.
But others weren’t so pessimistic, with some suggesting Palmer was cheekily playing up for the cameras, or protecting his phone from falling out of his pocket.
Without Palmer, Maresca’s side have endured a mixed spell on the pitch, with defeat in Manchester proceeding a home loss against Brighton – with both ties marred by red cards picked up by team-mates.
After being leapt on by the teenage defender, Palmer appeared to protect the affected area
In the short clip Palmer looked like he was wincing in pain – although some fans had different theories on social media
The 23-year-old is believed to be preparing to return after the upcoming international break
Although wins at Lincoln City and against Benfica in Champions League action kept competitions away from the league in play, Chelsea had gone one month without a win before beating Liverpool on Saturday.
The Blues will take a valuable boost in confidence away from the home win against the champions.
Palmer cut an excitable figure on the sidelines during a pulsating victory, reacting wildly to Estevao’s late winner – and sweeping the Brazilian star into a hug after the final whistle.
