Portugal Colonial - Chelsea's Palmer likely to avoid groin surgery: Maresca

Palmer has made just two Premier League starts this season and lasted only 21 minutes at Old Trafford before limping to the sidelines in a game Chelsea lost 2-1.

Asked whether the 23-year-old will need an operation on an injury that has been troubling him for a while, Maresca told reporters: "The medical staff, they didn't mention to me about surgery.

"I don't know if in the next days or the next weeks, but I don't think so, to be honest.

"He made a huge effort on Saturday to try to play the game. He did the test, he was OK but not 100 percent. But he wanted to be there to help his team-mates and to be there in that kind of game.

"Unfortunately, it was painful so we decided to change it. And it's more day-by-day, week-by-week, game-by-game to see how it is and then decide what we do."

Palmer is likely to miss Chelsea's League Cup third-round tie at third-tier Lincoln on Tuesday, with Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile also ruled out.

Maresca is likely to select several youth academy players but the Italian conceded it was a risky strategy given the potential for a cup upset against a team flying high in League One.

"These are the games that worry me most, because you can slip up very easily," he said. "Football is full of these kind of games and I am very worried about that."

F.Santana--PC