Chelsea have been handed a huge lift after Enzo Maresca officially confirmed that Cole Palmer is ready to start again. The Blues have missed his creativity and calm presence during a long spell on the sidelines, and his return feels timely as the team try to steady themselves after a tricky run of fixtures.
SoftFootball previously reported how Chelsea’s title hopes took a dent in the loss at Leeds, where Palmer made his first brief appearance since injury. The difference in Chelsea’s tempo once he was introduced hinted at how much the squad had missed him.
The midfielder had already made the bench in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal on November 30, although he never got the chance to come on because Chelsea went down to ten men so early, something SoftFootball pointed out in the derby report.
His real comeback happened at Elland Road on December 4, where he came on in the second half, created a bit of spark and even looked like he could level things. You could see he was not fully match fit yet, but the talent was still the same.
Maresca said he is not sure if Palmer can manage a full ninety minutes, but he is definitely fit enough to start, as seen in a post shared by Fabrizio Romano on his official X account. The coach also mentioned they will try to build the winger’s stamina little by little, so they do not rush him into another setback.
Check the post below:
Palmer has been dealing with a recurring groin issue and also a fractured toe from a small accident at home. Now that he is available, the squad feels different.
Maresca even called him probably their best player, which, coming from him, is not small talk. Chelsea need more creativity with Moisés Caicedo suspended, so Palmer’s return could not come at a better time.
His comeback also opens the chance of starting alongside Estevao Willian, who has been playing with a bit more confidence lately. Fans have been asking to see both players together, and Maresca did not hide the fact that he likes the idea.
The Bournemouth match might be the first step in getting Chelsea back into a proper rhythm, with Palmer right at the centre of things again.
