Enzo Maresca drops a bombshell announcement of including Cole Palmer in the Conference League

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has outlined his vision for Cole Palmer's involvement in European competitions, indicating that there is an option to include the talented England star in the Conference League squad. 

In September, as the team geared up for a new continental campaign, a thoughtful decision was made to exclude Palmer, along with Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana, from the initial group stage lineup for the Conference League.

Chelsea's head coach on including Palmer

Chelsea's head coach noted during the selection process that Palmer was emerging as a talismanic presence at Stamford Bridge. He mentioned that Palmer had a demanding year, transitioning from Manchester City to Chelsea and participating in numerous matches. However, he missed the pre-season with the team due to his late involvement resulting from Euro 2024. Chelsea is focused on safeguarding the players and ensuring they receive the appropriate minutes at the right time.

"He had a very busy last year, from City to here, playing many games, then he didn’t come with us on pre-season because he finished quite late [because of Euro 2024]. We are trying to protect the players and give them the right minutes at the right moment." Enzo said.

"Depends on January. In January we don't want to sell players, but players who are not playing a lot will be a bit unhappy. It depends on what happens in January and then we decide. This competition will be up until March and then we have the FA Cup. The players have to be ready as they are going to play." he added.

Chelsea has advanced to the last 16 of the Conference League without needing to rely on Palmer, accumulating maximum points from their six fixtures. 

Palmer, the 22-year-old playmaker, has experienced a notably lacklustre season, managing to secure 11 goals and six assists across 18 appearances.

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