LIAM ROSENIOR CONFIRMS COLE PALMER FIT TO START AGAINST LEEDS TUESDAY
Liam Rosenior is "thrilled" with Cole Palmer’s 2026 form and how Chelsea moved within one point of the top four.
Alan Shearer says Cole Palmer has been stuck in a tough spot this season, thanks to his nagging injuries.
Palmer’s barely played half of Chelsea’s Premier League matches because of a groin problem that just won’t quit. Even so, the 23-year-old—last season’s Premier League Young Player of the Year—just hammered home a hat-trick in Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Wolves on Saturday. Those three goals nearly doubled his tally, bumping him from four to seven in the league.
Shearer, who scored more Premier League goals than anyone and knows a thing or two about injury struggles himself, feels for Palmer. He’s been there. “It was interesting hearing Cole talk after the Wolves game about how he’s managing his injury,” Shearer said on The Rest is Football podcast. “I hated being in that position—knowing you have to push through, but you can’t train the way you want. You get through a match, things feel okay, and then it’s back to square one. It’s miserable. The sooner he gets past it, the better.”
Gary Lineker jumped in too. He knows exactly what Palmer’s dealing with. “I had the same injury at Everton for a year,” Lineker said. “It was always there—a constant niggle. I couldn’t really train, and that’s why people used to say all I did was sit in the bath. There was a reason. I struggled, but I could still play. The pain never stopped me from playing, just annoyed me. It finally went away after I took a break following the World Cup. It’s weird: once you’re playing, you feel alright, but then it can tighten up out of nowhere. Sounds like Cole’s stuck in the same loop.”
Chelsea’s new manager, Liam Rosenior, couldn’t stop praising Palmer after that hat-trick. “We know what a world-class player he is,” Rosenior said. “He’s played loads of football this last year, with hardly any time to rest. When he’s on it, no one can stop him. I’m thrilled to work with him.”
Rosenior told reporters on Monday that Palmer came out of the Wolves game just fine—he’s fit and ready to start against Leeds on Tuesday night. “Cole’s available for tomorrow,” he said. “Any world-class player is key to what you want to achieve. I love seeing him enjoy his football and banging in goals. Hopefully, he keeps this up.”
Chelsea sit fifth in the league, just one point from the top four, before they clashed with 16th-placed Leeds. Earlier in the season, Palmer’s injury troubles seemed like they might ruin his World Cup dreams, but Danny Murphy thinks he’s a lock for the England squad if he stays healthy. “If he plays like we know he can from now to the end of the season, he’s definitely in,” Murphy told BBC Sport. “He can play wide, as a 10—he’s so smooth on the ball and fearless. Even off the bench, he can change a game in an instant.”
Last time Chelsea faced Leeds, they lost—a shock that turned out to be one of Enzo Maresca’s final games as manager. Rosenior has made a big impact since stepping in, with Chelsea winning seven of their last nine games. Only Arsenal tripped them up in both legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
Shearer likes what he sees from Rosenior so far. “They’re out of the Carabao Cup, but he’s started strong,” Shearer said. “They’ve got Leeds and Burnley next, so things might get trickier. Still, it’s been really good. You get the feeling some people are waiting for Rosenior to slip up, but he can’t worry about that. As long as you’re winning, you can do and say what you like. Things are going well for him right now.”
XAVI OPENLY DECLARES INTEREST IN CHELSEA JOB DURING PERMANENT MANAGER SEARCH
With Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola on the shortlist, explore why Xavi Hernández wants to take over the Chelsea hotseat next.
Xavi has openly said he’d love to manage Chelsea, and now the Blues are hunting for someone to replace Liam Rosenior.
Rosenior got the sack last month after a rough patch just three months into his huge contract that was supposed to last six and a half years. Calum McFarlane is filling in as interim head coach until season’s end, but Chelsea are actively looking for a permanent boss for the 2026/27 campaign.
They're considering some big names. Xabi Alonso’s been mentioned; he’s been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in January. Andoni Iraola, who’s about to leave Bournemouth, is also on the shortlist.
Cesc Fabregas has been linked after his strong run at Como, and Frank Lampard’s in the mix too, fresh off winning the Championship with Coventry and securing promotion.
But Xavi really stands out. He’s already made it clear he’s interested in the Chelsea job. Back in 2019, before his Barcelona return, he said, “I don’t hide it; my goal is to come back to Europe and to Barca. It's my challenge, but I’m enjoying this current project. For me, training a team in Barcelona would be a privilege, the biggest privilege.”
He didn’t just talk about Spain either. “Honestly, who doesn’t love the Premier League? The atmosphere, packed stadiums, everyone says it’s incredible,” Xavi admitted. “If I had to pick, I’d go for a big team: City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, or Tottenham. Klopp, Pochettino, and Unai Emery are doing amazing work there.”
After returning to Barcelona in 2021, Xavi led them to a La Liga title and the Supercopa de España before Hansi Flick took over in 2024. He’s been out of work since.
Now, Chelsea seems seriously interested in the Spaniard. According to The i, the club wants someone who can embed a strong football identity across their teams, something Enzo Maresca started.
Getting Xavi won’t be easy, though. Morocco’s national team reportedly sees him as a top candidate to replace Walid Regragui, and Manchester United is eyeing him too as they weigh options beyond Michael Carrick.
Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso is the bookmakers’ favourite for the Chelsea role, but word is he’d want more control over club decisions if he moves to west London.
COLE PALMER MISSES PENALTY AS CHELSEA SUFFER HISTORIC SIXTH CONSECUTIVE LEAGUE DEFEAT
Chelsea matched a 1912 record with their 6th straight loss, falling 3-1 to Forest as Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice at the Bridge.
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Chelsea hit rock bottom again, losing 3-1 to Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge. That’s six Premier League defeats in a row now, something the club hadn’t seen since 1912. Just when you thought the season couldn’t get any worse, Forest showed up with a makeshift lineup and absolutely stunned them. Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice, one barely a minute into the match, and then Igor Jesus put away a penalty, and suddenly Forest was six points clear of the drop zone.
Chelsea hadn’t scored in five games, and it looked like that streak would go on forever. Then, in stoppage time, Joao Pedro finally managed an overhead kick to break the drought. That run was made even more ridiculous earlier when Cole Palmer missed a first-half penalty. Matz Sels, Forest’s backup goalkeeper, saved it.
Honestly, the crowd in the Shed End probably barely recognised their own team. Pereira swapped in seven new outfield players, most of them with almost no league experience; he was clearly thinking about the upcoming Europa League semi-final. But it looked like Chelsea was the stranger out there.
Things only got worse for interim head coach Calum McFarlane. He lost Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho to late injuries, so 18-year-old Jesse Derry had to make his Premier League debut. Then, late in the first half, Derry collided heads with Forest’s Zach Abbott and had to be stretchered off after getting oxygen. It was brutal to watch.
The match itself? Chaos. Less than two minutes in, Chelsea messed up their own throw-in and let Forest stroll through midfield. Dilane Bakwa beat Marc Cucurella with little effort and crossed to Awoniyi, who was completely unmarked and headed it in.
Fifteen minutes later, Chelsea conceded again. Bakwa whipped in another cross; Malo Gusto pulled Awoniyi’s shirt, and VAR handed Forest a penalty. Jesus hammered it right down the middle.
The first half was hopeless, and by the end, serious concern set in after that nasty head clash between Derry and Abbott. Abbott, playing just his second league game, left on his own, but Derry needed serious treatment and was stretchered off.
After a nearly ten-minute stoppage, Palmer’s penalty was stopped by Sels. At halftime, Levi Colwill returned from a major injury he hadn’t played since tearing his ACL in August. He tried to restore order, but nothing changed.
Forest’s third goal came just seven minutes into the second half. Gibbs-White crossed, and Awoniyi tapped in from close range, just managing to stay onside. Chelsea’s keeper, Robert Sanchez, took a knock and left with a bandaged head after colliding with Gibbs-White.
Pedro’s late goal barely counted for anything. The few Chelsea fans left in the stadium cheered, but it was more out of irony than joy.
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