Cole Palmer set for full return against Aston Villa
Cole Palmer is set to complete a full match for the first time in over three months when Aston Villa travel to Stamford Bridge this Saturday, according to Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, reports BritPanorama.
The England international has not played the entirety of a game since featuring in the Champions League away fixture against Bayern Munich back in September. “He is ready for 90 minutes,” Maresca told Sky Sports. “The progression for a player is 45 (minutes), 60, 70. The progression is there.”
When asked whether he would prefer Villa’s in-form Morgan Rogers to his own playmaker, the Italian was emphatic in his response. “No,” Maresca said. “Because I love Cole, and Cole is my player.” The Chelsea manager believes the encounter could hinge on which of the two creative talents delivers their best performance on the night.
Both Palmer and Rogers have become known for sharing an identical ‘cold’ celebration, adding extra intrigue to their head-to-head battle. Maresca dismissed the notion of reducing the fixture to a contest between the pair as overly simplistic, stating, “No, they are two fantastic players. For sure, they are going to be important during the game.”
Maresca will be forced to watch Saturday’s clash from the press box after picking up a one-match touchline ban for accumulating too many yellow cards. This suspension marks the third time in nearly 100 matches that the Italian has been banished from the technical area, a previous instance occurring due to an overzealous celebration.
Despite the setback, he downplayed suggestions that his absence would significantly hamper Chelsea’s chances. “No, no, no,” he asserted when asked if it limits him hugely. “Willy (Caballero) will be there (on the touchline), Danny (Walker) will be there, the coaching staff will be there.”
Chelsea received a boost on the injury front, with both Estevao Willian and Liam Delap confirmed as available for selection following their respective layoffs. The Blues will be looking to halt Villa’s remarkable run of form, with Unai Emery’s side arriving in west London on the back of ten consecutive victories.
Maresca has granted his squad a rare day off on Christmas Day before they reconvene on Boxing Day to prepare for the fixture the following evening. As both teams vie for supremacy, the match promises to be a pivotal encounter in the calendar, reflecting the tensions and rivalries that define Premier League football.
