Chelsea predicted XI vs Man United: Cole Palmer injury news and Alejandro Garnacho return chances assessed

Chelsea will look to return to winning ways when they face old foes Manchester United in a crucial fixture this weekend. The Blues were handed a baptism of fire on their return to the Champions League in a 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich - and are also targeting a response in the league after a dramatic 2-2 draw away to Brentford in their most recent league encounter.

In years gone by games between The Blues and the Red Devils were often central to the title race. However, this time around only Chelsea can really claim to have a shot at winning this year’s title, with United winning just one of their opening four matches while also falling to a 15th place finish in the league last season.

Chelsea welcomed Cole Palmer back to the starting lineup against Bayern Munich and the England international rewarded his manager with his second goal in as many matches after also finding the net in the game against Brentford from the subs bench. But will Enzo Maresca choose to start Cole Palmer for the second time in a week after his groin injury and could Alejandro Garnacho return to haunt his former club? Here’s the latest.

Will Cole Palmer start against Man United?

Chelsea playmaker Palmer has shown no sign of rustiness since returning from his groin injury, finding the net against both Brentford and Bayern Munich in fine fashion. However, there were some concerns about his overall fitness when he was seen clutching his groin during the closing stages against Bayern, sparking fears he could be set for another spell on the sidelines.

Palmer has been the team’s top scorer since arriving from Manchester City in the summer of 2023 and is widely regarded as Chelsea’s best performer of the Todd Boehly era so far. Speaking ahead of the Man Utd match, Enzo Maresca confirmed Palmer was “okay” and likely to feature in the match against the Red Devils. Palmer failed to score against United last season but did record a hat-trick against them in a 4-3 victory during the 2023/24 season when playing in front of the Stamford Bridge faithful.

The Blues are currently without Levi Colwill, Roméo Lavia , Benoit Badiashile and Dario Luis Essugo among others due to a growing injury crisis. Estevao Willian also missed the match against Brentford through illness.

Will Alejandro Garnacho return to haunt Man Utd?

Garnacho swapped the red of Manchester for the Blue of London this summer, in a deal believed to be worth in the region of £40m. The Argentine struggled for consistency last term but remains a player with an incredible high ceiling, aged only 21, having won an FA Cup, League Cup and a Copa America at such a young age.

He’s made two substitute appearances since moving to the capital but could be in line for his first start against the Red Devils at Old Trafford. Maresca hinted at the possibility. He said: “In the last two games, he came on and did very good. We are happy with how he is adapting in our style and what we want for our winger. ‘If he is ready to start tomorrow? I think he is ready to start.”

Full Chelsea predicted XI vs Man Utd: Sanchez, James, Chalobah, Adarabioyo, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandes, Garnacho, Palmer, Neto, Pedro

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