Professional footballers commonly receive massages to relieve muscle tension and aid recovery, with typical sessions lasting 10 to 30 minutes. However, Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer has reportedly spent significantly more time at the club's medical centre, amid rumours involving a mysterious female masseuse.
Unverified news reports on 4 November suggest Palmer visited the medical centre daily, despite having no active injury. As a result, Chelsea management reportedly limited his sessions with the physiotherapy staff.
Chelsea yönetimi, Cole Palmer'ın hiçbir sakatlığı olmamasına rağmen her gün sağlık merkezine gidip 2 saat masaj yaptırması üzerine kulüp fizyoterapistiyle olan seanslarını kısıtladı. pic.twitter.com/g273QXZ3Zu
— FUTA (@futaspor) November 4, 2026
What Happened at Chelsea?
The reports began circulating online after several sports publications, including Turkish soccer publication FUTA, covered Palmer's alleged visits to Chelsea's medical centre. They questioned his reported daily two-hour massage sessions, citing his injury history, and claimed that Chelsea later limited his access to the club's physiotherapy staff.
Different accounts referred to a club physiotherapist as well as a female massage therapist. For context, a physiotherapist is a qualified health care professional who assesses and treats injuries, while a massage therapist typically specialises in soft-tissue treatment and muscle relaxation.
Massages are a standard component of professional footballers' recovery routines, especially following intense training or matches. Treatments focus on specific muscle groups or broader areas, depending on each player's needs.
Professional football recovery guidelines recommend individualised massage sessions lasting 5 to 12 minutes per player. However, elite athletes may receive longer sessions when required.
For example, the WTA recommends recovery massages of 15 to 30 minutes. One professional Australian footballer, Daniel Talia, reported having two separate 30-minute sessions with a masseur and a physiotherapist at his club.
In this context, the alleged two-hour daily sessions attributed to Palmer would be significantly longer than the treatments typically examined in recovery research. Palmer's latest recorded injury absence, from 21 September to 8 October 2026, was listed as a muscle injury.
Palmer's Previous Injury Problems
These reports emerge in the context of Palmer's extensive injury history at Chelsea. According to Soccerway's injury records, the midfielder has sustained 24 injuries since 2021, including ankle, thigh, muscle, knee, toe, groin, and hamstring issues.
His latest recorded absence ran from 21 September to 8 October 2026. Throughout the 2025-26 campaign, Palmer's recurring groin issues affected his availability and prompted concerns about his long-term recovery.
In October 2025, BBC Sport's Nizaar Kinsella reported that Chelsea struggled to manage Palmer's recurring issue during the season's opening months. He was given an extended rest after being forced off during Chelsea's September 2025 defeat to Manchester United.
What Lies Ahead for Cole Palmer?
He is anticipated to return for Chelsea's Premier League fixture against Sunderland on 8 November. The attacking midfielder has begun the 2026-27 season strongly, registering three league goals and three assists in nine appearances, according to Opta.
Thomas Tuchel just DESTROYED Cole Palmer 😭.
— Blessing 4 Arsenal (@ArsenalBlessing) November 6, 2026
They asked him why Palmer is not in the England squad again.
His answer: "He misses too many opportunities to impress."
He said the boys who came to camp built something extraordinary, and the trust goes to them.
Not to someone who… pic.twitter.com/MmgdUA0xAq
He last played in Chelsea's 2-0 win over Manchester United on 31 October, during which he scored. Since joining Chelsea from Manchester City in September 2023, Palmer has 91 goal contributions in 138 appearances across all competitions.
Palmer also played a part in Chelsea's UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup wins. In October 2026, he signed a contract extension that will keep him at Stamford Bridge until June 2034.
While this recent coverage has attracted significant attention, many details remain unconfirmed. Both Chelsea and Palmer have yet to publicly comment on the reported restrictions.
