Chelsea encouraged by Cole Palmer fitness signs after Wolves display

Chelsea believe Cole Palmer may finally have turned a corner in his long-running fitness battle, with his explosive performance at Molineux offering hope that the worst of his stop-start season is behind him.

Palmer’s fourth Chelsea hat-trick in the 3-1 win over Wolves was notable not just for the records it brought, but for what it represented physically. Three goals inside 38 minutes made him the first player in Premier League history to score three separate first-half hat-tricks, moving him ahead of Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in that particular club metric.

Yet it was telling that when Palmer was substituted just after the hour mark, the travelling support responded with understanding rather than frustration. Chelsea had seen a glimpse of the player they have been managing carefully all season. The priority now is ensuring he can keep building.

Behind the headlines, Chelsea’s cautious optimism is rooted in context. Palmer’s campaign has been heavily disrupted by a recurring groin problem, compounded by minor toe and thigh injuries that have prevented him from finding rhythm.

It was against Leeds at Elland Road in December that Palmer made his first appearance in 74 days, returning from his longest lay-off of the season. Since then, his involvement has been carefully rationed, with 45- and 60-minute outings far more common than full matches.

The challenge with the groin issue has been its unpredictability. Some days it barely registers. On others, it restricts how intensely Palmer can train. That variability has inevitably fuelled speculation about whether surgery might be required, especially with a World Cup approaching in the summer.

However, there is no indication that surgery has been formally discussed internally, nor that Chelsea’s medical staff see it as the preferred route. Load management, rather than intervention, remains the strategy.

“I don’t think I’m 100 per cent fit just yet,” Palmer admitted after the Wolves match. “People don’t know what goes on behind the scenes. Being injured the whole season is not ideal when I’m not able to perform as I want to.

“Hopefully, I can get over the injury soon by managing it. When I’m back to full fitness, I feel like I can go to another level.”

While two of Palmer’s goals at Molineux came from the penalty spot, the third carried greater significance. His finish from a sweeping open-play move was decisive and confident, the kind of action that has been missing during periods where he has been managing pain rather than expressing himself.

Having followed Chelsea closely in recent weeks, his overall involvement also felt sharper. His passing vision appeared clearer, his confidence on the ball stronger, and his willingness to demand possession more pronounced than in previous appearances.

That is why the performance is being viewed internally as more than just a statistical outlier. It looked like a player trusting his body again.

Liam Rosenior has been clear in his admiration, describing Palmer as “world class”, but his handling of the situation has been deliberately measured. Protecting the player against a more serious setback is viewed as just as important as maximising short-term impact.

That balance was evident when Rosenior was asked whether Palmer would be able to play the full 90 minutes against Leeds at Stamford Bridge. His reply was carefully chosen.

“He’s available.”

The wording reflected both medical caution and expectation management. Chelsea need Palmer, but they also need him fit for the run-in rather than overused in February.

Chelsea host Leeds at Stamford Bridge next, a fixture that offers a chance to reinforce the sense of momentum built at Molineux. Another decisive showing would strengthen the belief that Palmer’s fitness is stabilising rather than fluctuating.

Even so, minutes are likely to be managed carefully in the coming weeks. Much will depend on how Palmer’s body responds to successive appearances, but the aim is clear: peak condition later rather than burnout now.

Has Palmer finally turned the corner, or does Chelsea still need to tread carefully?