Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca revealed that Cole Palmer will be fit and available for the visit of Arsenal in Sunday’s almighty clash between the two teams at the summit of the Premier League table.
It was before a league meeting with Arsenal back in April 2024 that Mauricio Pochettino coined the term “Cole Palmer FC.” As the former Chelsea boss prepared for a trip to north London without the team’s talisman, he called upon the rest of the squad to “show this is Chelsea Football Club, not Cole Palmer Football Club.” The Blues were beaten 5–0.
That Palmer-dependency was still very much evident during the first half of Maresca reign before the Italian boss began to gradually carve out alternative routes to goal during his playmaker’s long injury absences. Nevertheless, it comes as a boost to have Palmer back after enduring a campaign pockmarked by fitness woes.
The 23-year-old spent the first four months of the new season battling a groin problem only to then fracture his toe at home in comical circumstances.
A yawning 71 days on from his last appearance, Maresca revealed that Palmer could even start against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge this weekend.
“Everyone is happy,” the Chelsea boss beamed, “the teammates are happy, we are all happy and the most important thing is Cole is happy because a footballer wants to play games and make the sessions every day.”
Maresca: Palmer Is Our Best Player
Maresca celebrated the news of Palmer’s return like the discovery of a new continent.
“He is our best player,” Palmer’s former coach at the Manchester City youth teams gushed. “He has done fantastic in the past and no doubt he is going to do very good for this club in the future.”
Yet, Palmer doesn’t stroll back into this Chelsea side with the ease of years gone by.
João Pedro has looked at his most comfortable in the No. 10 role which the England playmaker used to consider his and his alone. Out on the right, where Palmer can also shine, lies the new darling of Stamford Bridge: Estêvão.
The Brazilian 18-year-old emphatically outshone Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal in midweek and is doing everything in his power to convince Maresca he warrants a consistent starting berth. The savvy tactician is well aware of the risks that can come from over-playing a teenager—just look at the injury issues already plaguing Yamal—and will not be tempted into risking Estêvão’s long-term future for a short-term rush. However, he is open to the prospect of playing the South American starlet alongside Palmer.
“They can play together, but depends on the game plan,” Maresca warned this week. “For sure they are exciting. Fans excited. We also are excited. We need always balance between two.”
Whether Maresca thrusts this burgeoning partnership into the limelight against a royally in-form Arsenal side remains to be seen. But the prospect of what may be to come over the next few weeks is certainly tantalising.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea Given Huge Injury Boost Ahead of Almighty Arsenal Clash.
