Chelsea suffered a setback in their Club World Cup campaign after a 3-1 defeat to Flamengo on Friday night. Cole Palmer was once again unable to impose himself on the game, raising concerns among pundits. Former Chelsea star John Obi Mikel voiced his worry over Palmer’s inconsistency, noting that “the young midfielder is beginning to vanish in key moments.”
“Palmer’s struggles began midway through the previous Premier League season,” where he only scored one league goal after January — a penalty. Despite finishing with 15 goals and 12 assists across all competitions, his influence visibly declined.
His latest outing against the Brazilian side did little to change that narrative. Palmer lasted 82 minutes before being replaced by Marc Guiu as Chelsea pushed for an equaliser late in the game. John Obi Mikel explained that “Palmer is becoming a marked man,” and opposition teams are now building strategies around neutralising him. Mikel emphasized that both the player and coach need to adapt quickly.
“Suggestions from Mikel include freeing Palmer with tactical tweaks and improving the partnership with Liam Delap to ease the creative burden.” Chelsea now face a must-win clash against Tunisia’s ES Tunis in their final group game. Failure to win could see them crash out of the competition prematurely.
Adding to their troubles, striker Nicolas Jackson will miss that match due to a red card just minutes after coming off the bench against Flamengo. “Palmer’s development remains vital for Chelsea’s ambitions,” and Mikel remains optimistic the 22-year-old can rediscover form if properly supported.