Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca has explained why Cole Palmer was left out of the squad in their 5-1 victory over West Ham on Friday night.
The Blues secured their first win of the new Premier League season at the London Stadium without their influential midfielder, who was replaced in the starting lineup by 18-year-old Estevao Willian.
Speaking after the game, Maresca revealed that Palmer had been struggling with discomfort in his groin during the week.
“Cole, in the last four or five days, was not 100 per cent,” Maresca said. “He tried in the warm-up today, but he still felt something, so we decided not to take any risks. We’ll assess him in the coming hours to know if it’s anything serious.”
Chelsea initially fell behind to a stunning strike from Lucas Paqueta but responded strongly, with goals from Joao Pedro, Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Trevoh Chalobah sealing an emphatic comeback win.
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