COLE PALMER BACK ON GRASS: MARESCA BOOSTS CHELSEA BEFORE ARSENAL
Chelsea's Cole Palmer is back training on grass as he recovers from a broken toe. Manager Enzo Maresca provides a positive update but confirms the star is unlikely to feature against Barcelona or Arsenal
Chelsea fans have some good news: Cole Palmer might be back on the field soon! After being out for two months with a groin issue, the 23-year-old Chelsea star had a setback, breaking his toe in a strange accident at home. But manager Enzo Maresca says Palmer is now training on the grass. He's hoping Palmer can rejoin the team soon.
Palmer hasn't played since the 2-1 loss to Manchester United back in September, so his return will give the team a real boost. Chelsea has been doing okay without him, though. They even moved past Manchester City into second place after beating Burnley 2-0 last Saturday. The team also has seven points from four Champions League matches. Last season, Palmer had 23 goals in the Premier League, so getting him back is a big deal.
Maresca spoke about Palmer at a press conference before Chelsea's Champions League game against Barcelona. He told reporters that Palmer is wearing a protective boot. They don't know exactly when he'll be back, but it should be soon. Palmer is already practising on the field and feeling positive. Right now, the focus is on the game against Barcelona. After that, they'll think about Arsenal. Maresca doesn't think Palmer will be ready for either of those games, but he's getting better.
Maresca also talked about the upcoming match with Barcelona, acknowledging their talented players like Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal.
Maresca said Lewandowski is a great player who scores goals, which is the most important thing in football. Chelsea will try hard to defend against him. But Barcelona has many good players, like Lewandowski, Yamal, Fermin Lopez, and Frenkie de Jong. Chelsea also has players who can win the game.
Maresca believes Chelsea is better now than when they played Bayern away. But he pointed out that every game is different, and Barcelona will use different strategies on attack and defence. He thinks the team is improving every day.
Maresca thinks Barcelona is a team that others can learn from, especially how they attack and defend. Their skills helped them win La Liga last year and reach the Champions League semi-final. They do many things well and always want to take the lead, which is what Chelsea also tries to do.
Chelsea is getting ready for a tough week. They have Barcelona in the Champions League and then a game against Arsenal in the Premier League. Maresca knows these are important games, but is focusing on the match with Barcelona. He said that after these games, they have matches against Leeds, Bournemouth, and Atalanta. Every game is a chance to earn points, so it's important to focus on each one. First, it's Barcelona, and then Arsenal.
NICO WILLIAMS CHASE: CHELSEA LAUNCHES €70M BID FOR SPANISH STAR
Chelsea and Tottenham have both submitted €70m offers for Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, according to reports in Spain. The 23-year-old Spanish international has long been a target for Barcelona.
Nico Williams has been one of the top young players in Spanish football for some time. It's kind of amazing that Athletic Bilbao has kept him around for so long. He almost joined FC Barcelona a few times, but he ended up staying with the club he grew up with. He's 23, and you'd think he'll eventually go to a big European team. Maybe Chelsea?
Chelsea brought in three wingers this past summer. Estevao came over from Palmeiras as planned. Also, Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens were signed from Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund. Plus, Geovany Quenda is set to join Chelsea from Sporting CP in the future.
Yet, reports from Spain say that Williams has caught Chelsea's attention. Actually, they've supposedly made an offer to sign him, but they aren't the only team interested.
Fichajes reports that Chelsea and Tottenham have both offered €70 million to try and get Williams. Athletic Club is keeping an eye on things because they want to keep him.
Chelsea has reportedly made a move to sign Nico Williams. Williams is one of the most skilled wingers in Europe. His stats might not be as good as you'd expect from someone with his reputation, but remember, he's still only 23.
Getting him won't be easy, though. Barcelona has tried before and failed. He also has a long contract that lasts until 2035. So, Athletic Bilbao doesn't have to sell him anytime soon, unless they really need the money from a big transfer.
Honestly, it doesn't seem like Williams is the kind of player Chelsea should be after right now. It doesn't really add up because they already have a lot of wingers, and Quenda will just make them even stronger. So, don't be shocked if this rumour doesn't go anywhere.
ENZO MARESCA MISTAKE IN BURNLEY GAME LEAVES CHELSEA FANS VERY DISAPPOINTED AGAIN
Chelsea fans are concerned by Enzo Maresca's team selection against Burnley, particularly the defensive pairing of Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah ahead of key games vs Barcelona & Arsenal.
Because Chelsea has some difficult games coming up, they have to get as much as they can from the easier games. You would think that the game against Burnley would be one of those, even if they have to travel to play them. But it is all a matter of perspective. The Clarets should not be offended, but the games coming up against Barcelona and Arsenal will probably be much harder.
But you can't always count on this Chelsea team. You never really know what to expect from them when they play.
For quite a while, people have been closely watching Enzo Maresca's choices for the team. It seems like the Italian manager doesn't have a favourite starting eleven and likes to switch players around. He has also had a lot of players get hurt, and he needs to give everyone on the team some playing time to try and keep them all happy.
But fans were not pleased with his choice to start Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah. Many people think that neither player is good enough to start for Chelsea, and the Blues' defence looks especially weak when they play together. The late goal they let in against Sunderland is a good example of how poorly they both defended.
Chelsea fans are not happy with Enzo Maresca's team choice against Burnley.
One Chelsea fan said, "Chalobah and Tosin playing defence is the only thing I'm worried about; the rest is good. I hope it works out."
A lot of people still remember that Sunderland game, as someone commented: "We all remember what happened the last time Chalobah and Tosin played at the same time, right?"
It is also starting to become a worry that Maresca keeps overlooking Josh Acheampong. He has said he trusts him in interviews, but his team choices show something different. The player from the Chelsea academy has played much better than both Chalobah and Adarabioyo when he's been given the chance. Someone else said, "I don't get why Maresca won't play Acheampong when he's better than Tosin."
Another Chelsea fan commented, "I really don't get why Josh Acheampong is playing worse than Tosin now. He had a couple of great games and then just disappeared."
So, let's hope we're wrong and Chalobah and Adarabioyo both have amazing games against Burnley. Chelsea needs to gain some confidence before they play Barcelona and Arsenal.