Chelsea’s Italian manager, Enzo Maresca, has shed light on his decision to leave Cole Palmer on the bench during Wednesday’s 2-0 Carabao Cup loss to Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
Newcastle secured their quarterfinal spot thanks to Alexander Isak’s strike and an Axel Disasi own goal, eliminating Chelsea from the competition.
Maresca made only one substitution, introducing Noni Madueke in the second half, but surprisingly kept Palmer, an England international, on the sidelines. When quizzed about Palmer’s snub, Maresca cited the impressive performances of Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku.
“No, no, no,” Maresca clarified in his post-match interview. “Simply because I think Joao and Christo were doing very good. The reason why [we brought him] was in case we needed Cole, but Joao and Christo were doing well, so there was no need to change.”
Maresca’s decision to stick with Felix and Nkunku raises questions about Palmer’s role in Chelsea’s squad. With the Carabao Cup exit, attention shifts to Chelsea’s Premier League campaign, where Palmer’s contributions will be crucial.
As Maresca reassesses his strategy, Chelsea fans await the team’s response to this setback.
