Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca might be enjoying life at the moment as the Blues' head coach, but a former Chelsea player has issued a warning to him regarding the use of his talisman.
The Italian manager has made a bit of personal history as he became the first manager to last more than a season under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Co., thereby outlasting the likes of Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel.
One area in particular where Maresca has impressed everyone is his handling of Chelsea’s injury-prone players.
For instance, Reece James has been available for Chelsea this year after a long spell on the sidelines.
However, the Blues are facing more injury problems this season, with their talisman, Cole Palmer, being unavailable for two out of the first three games due to a groin injury.
Now, Chelsea legend Florent Malouda has warned Maresca to be careful with his usage of Palmer going forward.
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Florent Malouda issues Enzo Maresca a Cole Palmer warning
Though Palmer’s scans did not reveal anything too serious, it remains unclear whether the player will be fit to feature in this weekend’s clash against Brentford or in the Champions League game against Bayern Munich next week.
While the boss will be looking to play it safe, Malouda told Simon Phillips’ Substack that he needs to ensure his best player is still taking part, even if he is not at 100% fitness-wise.
He said, “Enzo Maresca needs to be very careful with Cole Palmer, and I think he is careful with the way he manages him, but you must play your best players. Obviously, Cole Palmer is young, but in the manager’s position, you want results.
“It’s not like you have time and you can spare a few games here and there. You need to have your best players, and sometimes your best players are not in their best physical form, but they still have an impact on the team. So he manages him well.
“I think he will try to give him some rest. There’s a World Cup coming, but the priority is to perform for the club.”
While Malouda’s advice for Palmer is understandable, Chelsea have done pretty well in the absence of their talisman.
In the two games without him so far, they have scored seven goals and conceded just one. The likes of Joao Pedro and Estevao Willian have stepped up to the plate in the absence of the English international.
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