Chelsea star Cole Palmer is set for another six weeks on the sidelines after aggravating a groin injury, manager Enzo Maresca confirmed on Friday.

Palmer initially sustained the injury in August but made a brief return, scoring in back-to-back matches against Brentford and Bayern Munich. However, the 23-year-old England international suffered a setback during Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United on September 20.

“I was wrong about Palmer. Unfortunately, he needs to be out for six more weeks,” Maresca told reporters. “We’ve tried to protect Cole as much as possible. The key now is ensuring he’s fully fit when he returns. The medical staff aren’t magicians — we hope six weeks are enough, but we’ll take it step by step. He’s relaxed and focused on his recovery.”

Palmer, who has scored two goals in four appearances this season, is expected to miss upcoming fixtures against Nottingham Forest, Ajax in the Champions League, and Sunderland in the Premier League.

Chelsea currently sit seventh in the Premier League table with 11 points from seven matches, five points behind leaders Arsenal.

Maresca admitted that replacing Palmer will be a challenge. “It’s difficult to replace Cole — he’s a very important player for us and one of the best in the league. We don’t have another player like him. He’s unique,” the Italian said.

The Blues are also dealing with further injury setbacks in defence. French centre-back Benoît Badiashile is ruled out until December with a muscle issue, while Levi Colwill remains sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

“We’re going to wait for Badiashile,” Maresca added. “Moi (Caicedo), Enzo (Fernández) and Pedro (Neto) didn’t train yesterday, so we’ll see if they can today. Reece (James) is fine — he’s fully fit.”

Maresca will serve a one-match touchline ban and an £8,000 fine after admitting a misconduct charge stemming from his wild celebration during Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool. The Italian sprinted down the touchline to celebrate a stoppage-time winner, earning a second yellow card from referee Anthony Taylor.

“It was a big moment for many reasons,” Maresca said. “Since I joined the club, we hadn’t won a home game in the last minute. It was against the champions of England — it was emotional. My reaction was just instinctive.”