Former Chelsea star Frank Leboeuf believes that Enzo Mareca made a mistake by playing Cole Palmer against Man United in the Premier League on Saturday night.
The Blues slumped to their first defeat of the season after goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was sent off in the fifth minute of the game.
Maresca reacted to the red card by subbing off Estevao Willian and Pedro Neto for Filip Jorgensen and Tosin Adarabioyo; however, his problems compounded when Plamer was substituted moments later through injury.
However, the three substitutions left Chelsea with very little chance of getting back into the game, even after Casemiro was sent off on the stroke of half-time.
After the game, it was revealed that Palmer had struggled all week with his fitness but made the call to start the game on Saturday.
More importantly, Maresca’s decision to start Palmer despite being injured has not gone down well with Lebouef, who has slammed the manager for it.
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Frank Leboeuf slams Enzo Maresca for his handling of Cole Palmer’s injury
Enzo Maresca’s decision to start Palmer despite being injured has not gone down well in some quarters, especially with Leboeuf.
Leboeuf stated after the game that he believes Palmer should not have been playing at all if he was struggling with his fitness, describing the manager’s thought process as ‘insane’.
He said, “If Cole Palmer isn’t at 100%, then he shouldn’t play. Especially at Chelsea, where you have 200 players at your disposal.
“If you have to sacrifice another forward player, you take off Cole Palmer first [who wasn’t at 100% anyway], not Pedro Neto. That is insane from Enzo Maresca.”
Maresca’s decision to substitute most of Chelsea’s attacking players meant that the Blues hardly had any creativity going forward.
The Italian manager has barely put a foot wrong ever since joining the club, but the defeat at Old Trafford will not be remembered as one of his best days.
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