Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has confirmed that star man Cole Palmer will not feature against Cardiff City in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup.

The Blues will travel to Cardiff on Tuesday, December 16, with a place in the semi-finals up for grabs.

Despite scoring in Chelsea’s last outing against Everton in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge, Maresca revealed during his pre-match press conference that the England international will sit out the cup tie.

According to the Italian tactician, Palmer needs to be carefully managed to prevent potential injuries.

“I’ve already said many times in press conferences that we have many players who need to be protected. Cole is one of the players who deserves to be protected right now,” Maresca said.

“At this moment, he’s not available to play two games in three days. So, he won’t be available for tomorrow’s game, but he should be fine for the weekend.”

WDN