WHAT HAPPENED?
England international Palmer enjoyed a memorable debut campaign at Stamford Bridge in 2023-24, registering 25 goals across all competitions and winning the prestigious PFA Young Player of the Year award.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
His output dipped slightly last season, with the target found on 15 occasions, but he helped the Blues to Champions League qualification and a Conference League triumph. Palmer has now been handed the iconic No.10 shirt in west London.
GettyWHAT GALLAS SAID
He is expected to provide the creative spark for Chelsea, with former Blues star William Gallas talking up that talent when telling Prime Casino: “Cole Palmer at Chelsea reminds me of Zinedine Zidane with France, when you look at his importance within the team.
Next Match
“You can also look at Gareth Bale at Spurs, but Zidane was so important for France when it came to him making a difference on the pitch.
“With Chelsea things were different, Jose Mourinho made sure that the entire team were just as important as each other. Everybody knew Zidane was the star and that’s the same as Palmer in the current side, it comes naturally to him and that’s why he needs to be protected.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Gallas added on how Palmer’s enigmatic qualities need to be handled: “Enzo Maresca knows exactly what to do with Cole Palmer, he knows it better than anyone. I think there will be a moment in which Palmer is rested, it’s been a long season and in these conditions it’s far from easy, he is only human.
“The staff will be watching how many minutes each player gets because the most important thing is the Premier League season that starts in August.
“Palmer is a maestro in this Chelsea team and they cannot afford for him not to be fit for the start of the season. Having said that, they also want to go as far as possible in the Club World Cup and will need him to do that.”
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR PALMER?
Palmer has been replaced in both of Chelsea’s games at the FIFA Club World Cup, as his workload is managed. Maresca’s side, with a place in the last 16 of the global event up for grabs, will be back in action on Tuesday when facing ES Tunis at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.