Chelsea’s Cole Palmer a doubt for Wolverhampton Wanderers game: Enzo Maresca
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Chelsea's English midfielder Cole Palmer reacting during the 2-2 English Premier League draw against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge in London on Jan 14.
PHOTO: AFP
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LONDON – Chelsea’s leading scorer Cole Palmer is a doubt for the English Premier League clash at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Jan 20, manager Enzo Maresca said on Jan 17.
Palmer, who has struck 14 times in the league this season, fell awkwardly after a challenge during the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Jan 14, although the England international played the rest of the match.
“They kicked him so he didn’t train today. We don’t know if he will train tomorrow,” Maresca said. “Cole, Levi (Colwill), Romeo (Lavia) were not in the session today. We have three or four players who are a doubt for Monday’s game because in the last game they picked up some problems.
“We rely on Cole because he is a big player. We prefer to play with Cole but in case he has an injury or a problem, then we will find a solution.”
Chelsea, in fifth after games played on Jan 18, are winless in the last five league matches. They won 6-2 at Wolves in August, but Maresca said it would be unwise to assume their Jan 20 match would go the same way, with new manager Vitor Pereira taking over at the relegation-threatened side in December.
“They changed managers, so it is not the same idea,” Maresca added. “I don’t think the last game there can be important. It is a new game, a new manager, a different way to attack and defend. Hopefully we can be ready and get the three points.”
Pereira has demanded more from his top scorer Matheus Cunha, who is a doubt due to a bout of flu. The Brazilian forward has 10 goals from 20 league games and is on course to better last season’s mark of 12.
Said Pereira: “Cunha gives us the creativity as an unpredictable player. He can create magic in the moment on the pitch and create something special.
“But this kind of player – and this is my conversation with Cunha – to be a top, top-level player, we know that he has the level, he has the technical level, he has the conditions, the skills, top skills, but he must be committed all the moments, every moment in the game.
“If we lose the ball, he must give the first example to the others that he is running to get the ball again, compact the team, recover positions, defensive position, recover fast, and this is the behaviour and the personality of the top-level players.
“This is what I’m demanding from him.” REUTERS
