Chelsea will host Everton at Stamford Bridge in the next round of Premier League matches. Manager Maresca stated that Palmer is still experiencing groin pain, so the midfielder's condition must be monitored, and he is not yet able to start in every match.

After a goalless draw against Bournemouth in the last round of the Premier League, Chelsea currently sit 5th in the standings with 25 points, facing a fierce competition for Champions League qualification. Furthermore, in their earlier Champions League match, Chelsea, after João Pedro's goal, conceded two more goals later in the game, ultimately losing 1-2 to Atalanta in a last-minute defeat.

When discussing Palmer's form, Chelsea manager Maresca said, "For Palmer, it's simply a matter of the team getting better when you have more good players. But the complicated thing is that he's been participating in team training and is in good overall condition, although he's still feeling some pain."

“He still has some pain in his groin area, and we need to continue to monitor his condition. We also hope that this problem will not continue throughout the season. It does take a few days to assess the current situation. Sometimes we can see that he is getting better, but on other days he feels worse.”

Maresca continued, "For example, after the Leeds United game, he was in very good form the next day, but he only played for half an hour in that game. After the Bournemouth game, he felt okay, so he played for an hour. So there is no fixed pattern; rather, his physical condition is determined by his daily physical response. As things stand, he is still the kind of player who cannot start every game."

Regarding the options for the forward line, Maresca said, "This is good for João Pedro, and it's the same for us, especially with Liam Delap injured. We need different options in the forward line."

“We’ve used Giou for parts of the games against Bournemouth and Leeds United, so we’ve been trying to find a solution. But we would certainly be even happier if João Pedro can continue to score and perform well.”