Cole Palmer close to ‘out for the season’ for Chelsea amid outrage at Leicester

Cole Palmer escaped being ruled out for the season at Chelsea after a “terrible” tackle by Wilfred Ndidi, according to Joe Cole.

In the first half of the Premier League match at King Power Stadium, Ndidi caught a Chelsea player’s Achilles with his studs 22 minutes into the game, resulting in a yellow card from referee Andy Madley. VAR reviewed the incident and upheld the decision, concluding the challenge lacked significant intensity due to Ndidi’s short run-up.

At halftime on TNT Sports, former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole expressed his belief that Ndidi was fortunate not to be sent off, calling the tackle reckless and dangerous enough to warrant VAR intervention. Peter Crouch agreed, highlighting the potential for serious injury, such as an Achilles rupture, and criticized VAR for not acting. Cole pointed to the reaction of Chelsea players, noting that several immediately confronted the referee, emphasizing the danger of the challenge. He accused Ndidi of losing composure during a frustrating game for Leicester, arguing the tackle merited a red card.

Cole also questioned the justification of “lacked intensity,” arguing that Ndidi’s size and movement could have caused severe injury. Crouch added that players are sent off for far less serious offenses, stressing the inconsistency of officiating. Similarly, Darren Bent expressed disbelief on talkSPORT that Ndidi escaped a red card, describing the tackle as intentional and endangering an opponent.

In the match itself, Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring for Chelsea, and Enzo Fernández doubled their lead in the second half. Although Leicester managed to pull one back late, Chelsea held on for a 2-1 victory in an intense game.