With Cole Palmer injured until November, who is Chelsea’s best option to replace him?

A split image of Enzo Fernandez celebrating (left) and Estevao (right)

“With Cole, we are a better team, but we also said we need to play games without him,” Maresca said before the international break. “We are going to find a solution. We are not going to play with 10 players for sure.”

On paper, Chelsea do not need to worry. But if they are to become title contenders, they need to find ways of coping without Palmer. Here, The Athletic breaks down Maresca’s options.

If Palmer’s injury were Chelsea’s only absence, the first port of call would be Joao Pedro. The Brazilian loves to drop deep and help link play, and is not afraid to dribble at opponents. Maresca said after the 2-2 draw with Brentford that his best position is “in behind (a proper No 9)”.

The Brazil forward should be a ready-made solution, but with Liam Delap injured, he is needed up front. Dropping Joao Pedro back into the No 10 role would mean Marc Guiu or Tyrique George playing as striker. Guiu has only played 16 minutes for Chelsea this season after being recalled from a loan at Sunderland. George started up top against Benfica and is clearly in Maresca’s plans, but is naturally more of a winger.

The obvious answer is to look at how Chelsea set up in their 2-1 victory over Liverpool. Maresca’s midfield featured Moises Caicedo, nominal full-back Malo Gusto, and Enzo Fernandez operating higher than usual in Palmer’s absence.

Fernandez is Chelsea’s joint-top Premier League scorer (three goals) this season and contributes significantly to their attacks — though he would need to adjust to creating more in the

Not matching Palmer’s technique, pace, and confidence is nothing to be ashamed of. Few do, and the only Chelsea player who springs to mind as being as exciting as Palmer on the ball would be a risky choice as his deputy.

Nov 10, 2025