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.”
WHY CHELSEA BACK LIAM ROSENIOR DESPITE THEIR FOUR-GAME LOSING STREAK
Chelsea board backs Liam Rosenior through a four-game losing streak, prioritising stability over UCL qualification.
Liam Rosenior’s job at Chelsea looks safe for now, even if they miss out on the Champions League next season.
There’s been a lot of noise outside the club because of four straight defeats, and people are starting to ask questions about Rosenior’s future. But inside Chelsea, the higher-ups aren’t considering another quick managerial change. From what I hear, only a total meltdown would make them rethink their plans this summer, and nobody at the club expects that to happen.
Rosenior took over from Enzo Maresca in January, moving from Strasbourg to Chelsea, one sister club to another. He signed a five-and-a-half-year deal, with an extra year as an option. His big goal is to keep Chelsea in the Champions League. Right now, they’re in sixth place, just a point behind Liverpool, who hold the last likely spot for qualification.
Sure, if Chelsea falls short, some of the blame will land on Rosenior. But people at the club say it won’t be all on him after all; he came in halfway through the season.
Planning for transfers this summer is already underway, and Rosenior is right in the middle of those discussions, working with sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart. Some say Rosenior actually gets more say in recruitment talks than Maresca did before him. The club’s backing remains strong, even with outside pressure mounting.
Defence is a real problem right now. Chelsea haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last nine league games. In recent losses to Everton, Newcastle, and twice to Paris Saint-Germain, they’ve been beaten 12-2 on aggregate.
What’s strange is the stats say Chelsea have created more chances in expected goals than those four opponents put together. Rosenior blames the poor run on costly individual errors in key moments.
Central defence will be a priority in the summer. They tried in January to sign Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes, but he’s heading to Liverpool instead. Injuries haven’t helped: Levi Colwill is back in training after his ACL injury but still hasn’t played this season, and both Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah are out. Wesley Fofana is healthy but out of form during this rough patch.
The schedule after the international break doesn’t get any easier; they’ll host Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter-finals, then face Manchester City and Manchester United in the league, all at Stamford Bridge.
There’s some tension in the dressing room too. Vice-captain Enzo Fernandez hinted at problems after getting knocked out of the Champions League, criticising how Maresca left and saying his own future at the club is unclear.
Still, Rosenior says the team is with him. After the 3-0 loss to Everton, he told reporters, "I don’t think there’s a lack of effort or belief in this squad. Honestly, Enzo kept fighting right up until the final whistle. I know when you’re losing games, people start pointing fingers or talking about attitude, but that’s not what’s going on here."
STATISTICAL DECLINE: TRACKING ROSENIOR’S THREE WINS IN TWELVE GAMES SINCE REPLACING ENZO MARESCA
Chelsea face a Champions League crisis after a 3-0 loss at Everton marked their fourth consecutive defeat under Liam Rosenior.
Chelsea has become a club that seems to understand the cost of everything but struggles to grasp true value. This disconnect is evident as the team drifts toward missing out on Champions League qualification, led by a head coach who appears unprepared for the challenge.
Their recent 3-0 loss at Everton leaves them just a point behind fifth-placed Liverpool in the race for the final Champions League spot. Given the Premier League’s strong position in UEFA’s coefficient rankings, an extra place is almost guaranteed, but this defeat wasn't an isolated incident. It marks Chelsea’s fourth defeat in a row across all competitions, with three consecutive matches without scoring. Among these struggles was a brutal 8-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16.
Liam Rosenior stepped in as head coach after leaving Strasbourg in January, replacing Enzo Maresca. Yet under Rosenior, Chelsea have won only three of their last twelve matches. This poor streak has largely gone unnoticed amid various other distractions around the club.
Off the pitch, Chelsea faced a Premier League-record fine of £10.75 million and a suspended transfer ban related to past illicit payments under Roman Abramovich’s ownership. Meanwhile, Rosenior’s own awkward and sometimes puzzling remarks have done little to calm nerves.
For example, handing Alejandro Garnacho a tactical note with only five minutes left to overcome a six-goal deficit against PSG struck many as desperate. Similarly, defending players’ decision to crowd around the ball and referee Paul Tierney before their 1-0 home loss to Newcastle, a show of “respect for the ball", seemed tone-deaf.
Amid these distractions, it's easy to overlook how the team is actually performing. Currently, Chelsea resembles an unbalanced, inexperienced side, managed by someone thrust into a role he isn’t yet equipped to handle. Rosenior has a six-year contract, but that hasn’t shielded him from criticism from a dissatisfied fanbase. Still, blaming him alone would be unfair.
He represents more of a symptom than the root cause of the club’s deeper issues. His presence reflects the philosophy of new ownership, Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly’s BlueCo, who seem to mix heavy spending in certain areas with tight controls in others.
Chelsea’s squad is packed with forwards, often brought in at inflated prices, while critical positions like goalkeeper and head coach receive less investment. Take last summer’s recruitment spree: Jamie Gittens arrived from Borussia Dortmund for around £48.5 million; two months later, Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho joined for £40 million; and earlier, Estêvão, just 18 years old, came from Palmeiras for an initial £29 million. These are promising young wingers, sure, and wingers are needed. But while chasing these forward prospects, the club bypassed a reliable, experienced goalkeeper like AC Milan’s Mike Maignan, considering his £21 million fee too steep.
In consequence, Chelsea started the season with Robert Sánchez and Filip Jørgensen competing between the sticks, yet neither has proven dependable. Both have made costly errors recently. Rosenior dropped Sánchez in favour of Jørgensen against PSG, but the Danish keeper’s mistakes contributed to goals. Then Sánchez was back for the Everton game and also faltered.
So, despite pouring nearly £2 billion into players since Clearlake and BlueCo took over in May 2022, Chelsea still lacks a solid goalkeeper. But they do have plenty of wingers.
Rosenior inherits this flawed setup and is trying to manage with the cards he’s dealt. He still has talented players like Cole Palmer, Moisés Caicedo, and João Pedro at his disposal, but his appointment highlights Chelsea’s ongoing failure to appreciate experience and proven quality.
Within football circles, Rosenior is seen as bright and intelligent. Wayne Rooney praised him during their time together at Derby County. However, he was sacked by Hull City in May 2024 after narrowly missing out on a playoff spot, coming off a season near the bottom of the table.
Despite his potential, the jump from Strasbourg to Chelsea proved too large. Stamford Bridge’s management thrust him into a role he isn’t prepared for.
At Chelsea, coaches often become just one piece in a complex structure with upper management and multiple sporting directors calling the shots. This model only works if the coach is given real freedom to lead.
A club of Chelsea’s stature demands more from its head coach than tactical skill alone. They need someone who can command the room and handle intense scrutiny from fans and media alike. Every word, every action matters. Rosenior, like his predecessor Maresca, has repeatedly misspoke – an understandable flaw given his inexperience, but damaging nonetheless.
Managing teams like Hull or Strasbourg doesn’t prepare you for Chelsea, where the pressure is immense. Abramovich’s era valued high-profile managers with big personalities and records: Mourinho, Ancelotti, Conte, and Tuchel. The current approach seems quite different. The focus is on flashy young forwards with potential, while cutting corners on goalkeepers and coaches.
Rosenior is the embodiment of this two-tier strategy, and both he and the team are paying the price.
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