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.
WHY WAS COLE PALMER SUBBED? THE REAL REASON BEHIND THE STAMFORD BRIDGE BOOS
Fans booed as Cole Palmer was subbed in Chelsea's draw with Bournemouth. Learn why Maresca was absent and what’s next for the Blues.
After Chelsea's 2-2 tie with Bournemouth, assistant coach Willy Caballero defended the choice to sub off Cole Palmer, even though fans at Stamford Bridge were angry about Enzo Maresca's move.
Fans booed, yelling, You don't know what you're doing! when Palmer—who'd been one of the team's better players—was taken out in the 63rd minute. The home team was trying to score and break their bad Premier League streak at the time.
Chelsea has only won one of their last seven league games. Caballero said afterward that head coach Enzo Maresca, who wasn't there for the post-game interviews due to illness, is still a role model for everyone at the club.
Still, the pressure is on the coach after yet another result slipped away. Chelsea has now lost 13 points at home from winning positions.
The mood got especially sour when Palmer, who just came back from an injury, was taken off in the second half.
Every fan wants the best players on the field, Caballero said. We do, too. But Cole is coming back from a long injury. So we have to figure out the best substitutions to win the game while also keeping our players healthy. We need them for the entire season.
Caballero said about Maresca's absence, "He hasn't been feeling well for the past two days." He had a fever two days ago. He did the last two practices because he wanted to get the team ready. But after the game, he went to the locker room and asked me to fill in because he wasn't feeling well.
He's handling it well and is very professional. He puts in a lot of hours every day, even when he wasn't feeling well the last two days. He loves to train and coach. He's a role model for me and the rest of the staff.
Bournemouth took the lead after six minutes when David Brooks scored on his second try after Robert Sanchez made a save. Then, Palmer scored a penalty to tie the game for Chelsea.
Next, Enzo Fernandez put the home team ahead, but the Blues couldn't hold on to their lead again. Justin Kluivert tied the score before halftime after Chelsea failed to handle a long throw-in from Antoine Semenyo.
There's been a lot of talk that this would be Semenyo's last game for Bournemouth before he moves to Manchester City soon. Before leaving the field, he seemed to say goodbye to the fans who had traveled to see the game.
Still, head coach Andoni Iraola was sure he'd play against Arsenal on Saturday.
It's not his last game here with us, he said. I can't say for sure, but I think he'll play.
He needs to rest. We've played two tough games in three days. We have Arsenal at home, so we're getting ready for another one, a tough game against the leaders. He's going to be important for us.
BREAKING: ENZO MARESCA SKIPS MEDIA AS CHELSEA CRISIS DEEPENS! GET THE HEALTH UPDATE
Enzo Maresca missed the post-match media due to a fever after Chelsea's 2-2 draw. Willy Caballero provides an urgent update on his health.
Enzo Maresca skipped media interviews after Chelsea's 2-2 tie with Bournemouth because he was sick.
The Blues coach was supposed to chat after his team snagged a point against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.
But right before he was about to talk about the game, news dropped that Maresca wasn't feeling good.
So, his assistant, Willy Caballero, stepped in to handle things in west London.
Caballero shared an update on Maresca: He's been under the weather for a couple of days, Caballero said. He had a fever two days ago.
After the game, he went to the locker room and asked me to fill in for him since he wasn't feeling well.
Caballero was asked if he'd be in charge against Manchester City on Sunday, like he was against Villa during Maresca's suspension.
"I'm not sure," he said. I just want Enzo to get better. I think he'll be fine in a day or two.
The draw with Bournemouth means Chelsea has only won one of their last seven Premier League games.
Fans were clearly annoyed during the second half when Cole Palmer was subbed out for Joao Pedro.
Palmer just got back to playing regularly after a groin injury, but some Chelsea fans wondered why he was taken out.
About the boos, Caballero said, "Of course, every fan wants their best players on the field, and so do we."
But Cole is coming off a long injury, so we have to figure out the right subs for the game and also look out for our players since we didn't have him for a while.
Chelsea and Bournemouth had a boring 0-0 draw in their previous match earlier in the month.
But the game at Stamford Bridge was totally different, with Bournemouth taking the lead early on through David Brooks.
Palmer leveled the score with a penalty, and then Enzo Fernandez blasted a shot into the top corner to put Chelsea ahead.
But Chelsea failed to defend a long throw for the second time, allowing Justin Kluivert to score for Bournemouth.
After playing City, Chelsea will face their west London rivals Fulham before an FA Cup game away against Charlton Athletic.