After hobbling out of Old Trafford over the weekend due to a knee injury, Cole Palmer is out of Sunday’s Premier League match against Arsenal for Chelsea. The 22-year-old’s challenge from Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez during Sunday’s 1-1 draw was described by head coach Enzo Maresca as “not a normal one,” and he acknowledged that there is a chance the England international will miss the London derby.
“We need to wait and see, then make a decision, but hopefully he’ll be ready (for Arsenal).” Palmer responded, “Yeah, for sure,” when asked whether there was a chance he will miss Sunday’s match at Stamford Bridge. The past two days, he did not train. It’s obvious that the tackle wasn’t typical. But let’s hope he can return. Throughout Maresca’s first four months in charge, Palmer has been the team’s standout player, scoring seven goals and solidifying his position as its creative core. With significant lineup changes anticipated, Maresca is probably going to use Thursday’s matchup against Armenian team Noah to evaluate his options.
Joao Felix is one player who will be hoping to use the game to build a claim to a starting position against Arsenal, but Jadon Sancho is not available after missing the meeting at Old Trafford due to illness and has since sustained an injury.
The £42 million summer acquisition has not yet made a league appearance and did not come off the bench against United. “I feel bad about Joao,” Maresca remarked. Although we need defensive balance and can’t play with Joao, Cole, or Christo (Christopher Nkunku), I would want to see him play more in the Premier League. “I want to put them all on the pitch, but you have to defend as well. You must strike the ideal balance between attacking and defence. “This is the sole explanation. If Felix continues to play well, I have no doubt that he will eventually find his place in the Premier League. Felix is among a number of expensive acquisitions who are having trouble playing in the league under Maresca. Less than two years after signing for £106 million, Enzo Fernandez has been benched for the past three games, and Nkunku, who cost £55 million, has been subordinate to Nicolas Jackson up front. Having made the most of starts in the Conference League and Carabao Cup, the France international leads the team in scoring with eight goals, highlighting Maresca’s challenge of allocating starts among his 24-man roster. “Nkunku scores every time he plays,” Maresca remarked.
In the preseason, he was most likely our best player. We are utilising him as a nine presently, although he was an attacking midfielder in the past. He is more of a second striker who plays between the lines, as we all know. However, I look for balance and answers. I recognise that they must adjust a little because not all of them can be in their position. Although we have more players who deserve it, they all deserve additional opportunities in the Premier League.