According to a report by Manchester Evening News on Monday, 26 October 2026, Cole Palmer will be eligible to feature for Chelsea in their upcoming Premier League meeting with Manchester United despite receiving a red card during the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

The England international was dismissed after collecting two yellow cards within nine minutes of the second half against Tottenham. His sending-off resulted in an automatic one-match suspension, but the punishment will not prevent him from participating in Chelsea’s next league fixture.

Instead, Palmer will serve his suspension during Chelsea’s Carabao Cup fourth-round encounter against Liverpool at Anfield. Since the Blues’ next domestic match is the cup tie, the midfielder will miss that contest before becoming available again for Premier League action.

Under the relevant disciplinary regulations, suspensions arising from red cards in Premier League matches can be served in domestic cup competitions. Similarly, dismissals in domestic cup fixtures can result in suspensions affecting subsequent league games. However, suspensions triggered by accumulating yellow cards generally apply only to the competition in which the offences occurred.

Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso will therefore have to decide whether to include Palmer in the squad for the Liverpool encounter before preparing for the Manchester United match. The midfielder previously started Chelsea’s Carabao Cup meeting with Leeds United on the bench but eventually made a significant impact.

Palmer entered the game at half-time with Chelsea trailing 1-0 and scored twice within three minutes, helping the team turn the contest around. Chelsea eventually secured an impressive 6-3 victory, demonstrating his importance to the squad.

His availability for the Manchester United clash will provide Chelsea with a major boost as they prepare to welcome the Red Devils to Stamford Bridge. Palmer’s creativity and attacking contributions could prove important in a fixture involving two Premier League rivals.

Meanwhile, Manchester United will have a full week to prepare for the encounter after their Carabao Cup campaign ended with a 4-2 home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion.

United initially took a two-goal lead through Mason Mount and Shea Lacey, who scored within 43 seconds of each other. However, Brighton responded through Charalampos Kostoulas before half-time, while Maxim De Cuyper and Pascal Gross completed the comeback after the break.

The result marked Manchester United’s first home defeat after leading by two goals in 50 years, leaving the club with additional disappointment ahead of their meeting with Chelsea.