Cole Palmer involved in freak accident ahead of Chelsea clash with Burnley

And now, ahead of Saturday's showdown between Chelsea and Burnley at Turf Moor, Maresca has confirmed his talisman won't be involved.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference, the Italian said: "He is probably not available for tomorrow for sure, Barcelona for sure or Arsenal for sure.

"Unfortunately, he had an accident at home where he hit his toe.

"It is nothing important, but he won't be back in the next week."

Maresca then elaborated, revealing that Palmer had sustained the injury after going to the toilet in the middle of the night.

He continued: "I wake up many times in the night to go to the toilet, I hit my head and leg and everything. It can happen.

"He was very close. He was back with us almost with the groin, which is very good news, but he has this small problem.

"We don't know it's fractured. The only thing we know he is not available for this week and next week."

For Chelsea, Palmer's ongoing absence represents a substantial blow.

The England international, who joined from Manchester City back in the summer transfer window of 2023, has established himself as a leader ever since swapping the Etihad Stadium for Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea will enter their clash with Burnley hoping to bounce back after slipping to a shock 2-1 defeat at home to Sunderland prior to the international break.

Given how much the club have spent over the past two years, pressure is mounting on Maresca to get the best from his star-studded squad.

There is, however, better news on the injury front.

Moises Caicedo has returned from international duty with no issues, while Benoit Badiashile, Enzo Fernandez and Pedro Neto are all available for selection.

Maresca added: "Moi came back last night. I haven’t seen him yet but I’ve been told he’s okay and he will train today.

"Benoit is back and he’s available for tomorrow, which is very good news for us.

"Enzo and Pedro used the international break to recover from the little issues they had and recover the energy levels. They are both okay and available for tomorrow’s game."

Meanwhile, speaking on Thursday, Burnley boss Scott Parker revealed optimism over former Chelsea star Armando Broja - who was forced out of Albania's 2-0 defeat with England last weekend.

"I'm hoping that Armando will be available for the weekend. Everything that's come back seemed really positive," he said.

"He was on the grass yesterday, he's on the grass today - we'll see how he reacts tomorrow. But at this moment in time, it's looking good. I'm pleased it's not an injury that brings back a scar [because] he's a top player."