Chelsea: Enzo Maresca reveals latest on Cole Palmer ahead of Club World Cup opener

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·16 de junho de 2025

Chelsea: Enzo Maresca reveals latest on Cole Palmer ahead of Club World Cup opener

The attacking midfielder is poised to lead Chelsea’s pursuit of Club World Cup glory

Your matchday briefing on Chelsea, featuring team news and expert analysis from Malik Ouzia

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Enzo Maresca has played down fears that Cole Palmer is ill and confirmed the playmaker is fit for Chelsea’s Club World Cup opener against LAFC.

Palmer had sparked fears he was under the weather when he was photographed disembarking Chelsea’s flight to the US last week wearing a face mask.

The photograph came off the back of the attacking midfielder being an unused substitute in England’s defeat to Senegal earlier in the week.

Maresca, however, has eased any concerns about Palmer’s fitness by revealing he has been in training ahead of Chelsea’s Club World Cup opener against LAFC on Monday night.

“To be honest, I saw him on the flight with the mask, but I didn’t ask,” said Maresca.

“I think, probably, because he was a little bit…to be honest, I don’t know if it was even for a joke, I don’t know.

“He is okay. He did a session two or three days in a row with us and he is okay.”

Raring to go: Cole Palmer

Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Chelsea head to the Club World Cup after a long season in which they finished in the Premier League’s top four and won the Europa Conference League.

Maresca has told his side that they cannot take their foot off the gas in the US, though, and he wants them to take the tournament seriously.

“We had a few days off [after the Conference League final] and some new players have arrived, so when we saw each other three or four days ago at Cobham, the feeling was a little bit like when you return for pre-season,” said Maresca.

“But the first thing I said, and the main message since we returned, is that we are not here for pre-season, it’s a big, big tournament.

“We achieved something important by finishing in the top four in the Premier League, and we won the European competition we were in. But now that is done, finished, and we have to focus on the competition we are in now.

The main message since we returned, is that we are not here for pre-season, it’s a big, big tournament.

Enzo Maresca

“We had one competition this season, the Conference League, and the most difficult thing was convincing the players that it was the game of the season for our opponents, so if you don’t prepare in the right way, you can be in trouble.

“We have a difficult game [against LAFC] and if we are not ready and prepared, we can be in trouble. So we must prepare 100%.

“And no matter who the other team is, when you are a Chelsea player or head coach, you need to win games.”