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Cole Palmer raised concerns among Chelsea fans that his return to the pitch may be further away than initially announced after appearing to suffer discomfort during an interaction with one of his team-mates in the aftermath of victory against Liverpool.
Palmer watched his Chelsea side snatch all three points away from the visitors at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night from the stands, after being ruled out with a groin injury last month.
Head coach Enzo Maresca confirmed that Palmer would spend a spell on the sidelines after a stop-start season which has seen him troubled by the persistent issue.
The 23-year-old last featured in the Blues' chaotic defeat to Manchester United, but was forced off early in the first-half after being hampered by injury.
Maresca has previously discussed Palmer's potential return date as taking place after the upcoming international break, with the manager sharing that allow his player does not need surgery at present, protecting him is an important priority.
But supporters feared worse news may be on the horizon after a new clip showed Palmer on the pitch celebrating with his team-mates on Saturday evening.
Cole Palmer encountered Jorrel Hato after the final whistle and his reaction was less than impressed
The talismanic Chelsea star has been forced to watch from the sidelines amid a groin issue
In the moments before Sky Sports cut back to the studio, footage showed new recruit Jorrel Hato playfully jumping on Palmer as he made his way off the pitch.
But rather than reacting with similar buoyancy, Palmer appeared somewhat distressed by Hato's leap onto him, moving quickly out of the way.
The talismanic Blues midfielder also appeared to move his hand to the affected area, and wince in pain, further worrying supporters that he might have been unsettled by the sudden movement.
Fans took to social media to share their concerns, with one writing: 'Hato added another month to his groin.'
Another shared: 'It doesn't look good at all', while a third stressed: 'This is not a good sign... surgery would solve the problem once and for all and in good time'.
But others weren't so pessimistic, with suggestions for his reaction aside from injury including Palmer cheekily playing up for the cameras, and the idea that he might have been protecting his phone from falling out of his pocket.
Without Palmer, Maresca's side have endured a mixed spell on the pitch, with defeat in Manchester proceeding a home loss against Brighton - with both ties marred by red cards picked up by team-mates.
After being leapt on by the teenage defender, Palmer appeared to protect the affected area
In the short clip Palmer looked like he was wincing in pain - although some fans had different theories on social media
The 23-year-old is believed to be preparing to return after the upcoming international break
Although wins at Lincoln City and against Benfica in Champions League action kept competitions away from the league in play, Chelsea had gone one month without a win before beating Liverpool on Saturday.
The Blues will take a valuable boost in confidence away from the home win as well as the precious three points after stopping the rot, and knowledge that they can succeed against a top club without their star player will further raise Maresca's spirits.
Palmer was instead an excitable figure on the sidelines, reacting wildly to Estevao's late winner, and sweeping the Brazilian star into a hug after the final whistle.
