Enzo Maresca has revealed that Cole Palmer headed straight down the tunnel after being substituted in Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Leicester City because he had been playing through illness.
The Blues’ forward is going through a rare goal drought and missed a golden opportunity to break it when he had a penalty saved by Mads Hermansen in the first half. Palmer’s miss marked the first penalty miss of his senior career.
The England international was substituted in the second half, a move that was unusual at Stamford Bridge. After the match, Maresca explained that Palmer had been struggling with illness and was not fully fit to play.
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“It’s very simple: Cole didn’t train yesterday and wasn’t feeling well overnight,” Maresca explained. “The reason he didn’t train was because he was unwell. This morning, he woke up and told me, ‘I want to play because I want to help the team and the club reach the Champions League.’
“For the last two days, he couldn’t train due to a fever and stomach issues, which I can say in English as diarrhoea. He had these symptoms for the past 48 hours and still wanted to play today. That shows how much these players care about bringing the club where it belongs.”
Maresca confirmed that Palmer’s illness was the reason for his substitution and for his decision to head directly to the tunnel, though he later returned to the bench.
Palmer is now approaching two months without a goal, and his last assist was in December. He will be eager to end both streaks in Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League matches against Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
