Chelsea: Enzo Maresca reveals 'excitement' at potential Cole Palmer and Estevao partnership

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·28 November 2025

Chelsea: Enzo Maresca reveals 'excitement' at potential Cole Palmer and Estevao partnership

Talisman and wonderkid could line up together

Enzo Maresca says there is excitement inside Chelsea at the prospect of Cole Palmer and Estevao Willian lining up together for the Blues.

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Chelsea can call on Palmer for the first time since September 20 when they host Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday after he overcame his groin and toe injuries.

Estevao, meanwhile, is still waiting for a first league start since the end of that month and pushed his cause as he starred on Tuesday and scored a superb goal to help Chelsea down Barcelona 3-0 at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League.

The only time Estevao and Palmer have started together for Chelsea in a competitive game was an experiment that lasted just seven minutes, as Estevao was substituted just seven minutes into September’s defeat to Manchester United as Maresca changed the formation after Robert Sanchez’s early red card.

Estevao has made no secret of the fact he would like to be used more regularly as a No10 in the longer-term, rather than as a right-winger, but Palmer is Chelsea’s first-choice No10 when fit.

However, Maresca believes he can find a way of getting them both into the team in the future.

“They can play together,” Maresca insisted. “It depends on which team [we are playing against], it depends a little bit on the game plan, but for sure they are excited.

“The fans are excited to watch both together. We are also excited, thinking that at the end we need always a balance between the two phases.”

Palmer has played just four matches for Chelsea this season due to his reoccurring groin problem, which Chelsea hope is now resolved.

“His team-mates are happy, we are happy, and the most important thing is that Cole is happy,” Maresca said.

“He is probably our best player,” the head coach said of Palmer. “Now we need to give him time to be 100 per cent fit. But he has done fantastically in the past and will be very well in the future, no doubt.”

Asked about the magnitude of Palmer’s impact at Chelsea, Maresca said: “A lot, a lot. He is, as you said, probably our best player.

“We are happy that he is back. Now we need to give him time to be 100 per cent fit. He has done fantastic in the past and no doubt he is going to do very well for this club in the future.”

Maresca spoke again about his delight at Estevao’s magnificent performance against Barcelona.

“It's always good when the ones that start and play do the right things,” he said. “It's good because they give me a doubt always [over who to select] for the next games.

“But it's important that when they have the chance, they play well, they do the right things. And then it's a good problem for the manager always.”