Why Cole Palmer is missing from Chelsea squad vs Brighton in huge blow to Liam Rosenior

Why Cole Palmer is missing from Chelsea squad vs Brighton in huge blow to Liam RoseniorChelsea face Brighton and Hove Albion in a pivotal match this evening, but they will have to face the Seagulls without star midfielder Cole PalmerCommentsSportBobby Vincent and Patrick Austen-Hardy Senior Sports Journalist19:18, 21 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesCole Palmer will not feature against Brighton and Hove Albion(Image: Alex Pantling, Getty Images)Cole Palmer has been left out of Chelsea's trip to Brighton for this evening's Premier League fixture due to a minor hamstring problem.‌The Blues desperately require victory at the Amex Stadium to maintain their faint Champions League qualification ambitions. Liverpool extended their advantage over Chelsea to seven points following their triumph against Everton on Sunday afternoon, less than 24 hours after Manchester United defeated the Blues by a single goal at Stamford Bridge.‌A dismal weekend places additional pressure on Chelsea to claim all three points tonight. Nevertheless, Liam Rosenior must attempt this without Palmer, who hasn't made the journey to the south coast owing to a hamstring complaint. Palmer will undergo assessment before this weekend's FA Cup semi-final encounter with Leeds United.‌READ MORE: Rodri, Gvardiol, Dias - Man City injury news and return dates after Pep Guardiola updateREAD MORE: Vincent Kompany selling £3.5m mansion with pool, games room and football pitchSpeaking earlier this month, Palmer said he had "turned a corner" regarding his fitness. The 23-year-old, who has managed just 10 goals across all competitions for the west Londoners this term, has been battling a complicated groin injury throughout most of the season.When questioned by football.london whether he believed Palmer had turned a corner, Rosenior said: "If Cole feels that, that is great. Cole, as I've said many times before, is a top player who's gone through a really difficult period in terms of i...