Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior says he will continue to assess Cole Palmer’s fitness on a “game by game” basis following an injury-disrupted season for the England international.

A persistent groin problem has limited Palmer’s influence in recent months, forcing the club to manage his workload carefully. The 23-year-old was restricted to a second-half appearance on Tuesday as Chelsea were eliminated from the EFL Cup after a semi-final defeat to Arsenal.

Just three days earlier, Palmer had completed the full 90 minutes in Chelsea’s dramatic 3-2 comeback win over West Ham, having trailed 2-0.

Concerns over squad management were among the factors behind Enzo Maresca’s departure as Chelsea manager in January, with senior club figures reportedly insisting that the medical department should have greater influence over team selection.

Rosenior stressed the importance of prioritising player welfare.

“We have the best medical and sports science team in the world, and we want to make sure the players are fit enough to perform at the level needed to help us win,” he said. “There isn’t a fixed timeline where he’ll suddenly be perfect in one, two, or three months. It’s something we assess game by game.”

Chelsea entered the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final trailing 3-2 on aggregate, but Rosenior’s cautious approach drew criticism from some supporters and pundits for lacking attacking ambition.

Despite enjoying long spells of possession at the Emirates Stadium, the Blues struggled to create clear chances before Kai Havertz scored a late goal in stoppage time to seal Arsenal’s victory.

However, Rosenior defended both his tactics and his team’s performance, highlighting their resilience against the Premier League leaders.

“What people say outside the club doesn’t affect my decisions,” he added. “With hindsight, there are always things you can do differently when you don’t progress, but that was a very solid performance against a team that’s very strong at home.”