Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca revealed that Cole Palmer is fit and available for Wednesday’s clash with Leeds United but warned that the idea is to avoid overworking his returning talisman.
Palmer made his first matchday squad in 71 days by figuring on the bench for the visit of Arsenal on Sunday. Maresca had claimed that the England international was fit enough to start but opted for a midfield trio of Moisés Caicedo, Reece James and Enzo Fernández instead. While James enjoyed a stunning showing, Caicedo was sent off in the first half, forcing a backs-against-the-wall setup which Maresca didn’t feel suited Palmer.
Whether the latest edition of this famously fierce derby with Leeds is a better setting remains to be seen. But Chelsea fans will just be glad to have the chance of seeing their star man again.
“He is available,” Maresca confirmed ahead of the midweek trip to Elland Road. “He was on the bench last game. With 10 players, it was more complicated for Cole because he needs to come back in terms of fitness condition. The idea is to give him some minutes until he can play 90 minutes.”
Slowly building Palmer up is a sensible. After playing the full 90 minutes on the opening weekend of the season the 23-year-old was forced out for the next two weeks with a groin problem. Maresca resisted the temptation to call upon Palmer from the first whistle when he came back in September against Brentford, yet just 21 minutes into his second start of the season, he was forced off again with a recurrence of that same issue. He isn’t the only injury-prone member of Chelsea’s squad.
Lavia Still Injured As Nightmare Continues
“Everyone is fine,” Maresca began his prematch press conference on Tuesday, before listing two players who are not so fine.
“Roméo [Lavia] is still recovering,” Maresca warned of the injury-riddled midfielder. “Dário [Essugo], he was O.K. and started some sessions with us. He now needs to slow down a little bit. He will be out again, hopefully nothing important.”
Both Lavia and Essugo are painfully familiar with Chelsea’s treatment room. The Belgian has missed the past month with a muscular strain while Essugo is yet to make an appearance this season.
After undergoing surgery on a thigh problem sustained while on international duty with Portugal’s U21s, Maresca teased a surprisingly swift return for the summer recruit last week. Yet, as his latest update shows, that optimism proved to be premature. Many will be hoping the same faith is not misplaced in Palmer.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Enzo Maresca Reveals Chelsea’s Immediate Plan for Cole Palmer.
