Chelsea: Enzo Maresca explains early Cole Palmer substitution after injury question | OneFootball

Palmer and Tosin Adarabioyo were both withdrawn at half-time of 3-0 win over Legia Warsaw in the Conference League

Enzo Maresca has allayed any new injury fears over Cole Palmer following Chelsea’s emphatic Conference League victory over Legia Warsaw.

The England forward returned to the Blues’ starting lineup as expected for Thursday night’s quarter-final first-leg clash in Poland, having been initially named on the bench on Sunday for a frustrating goalless draw away at west London rivals Brentford in the Premier League.

Palmer endured another quiet evening during a rather insipid first-half showing from Chelsea amid a hostile atmosphere in Warsaw as his long run without a goal or an assist dating back to mid-January extended to 13 matches across all competitions.

The 22-year-old was surprisingly substituted at the break along with Tosin Adarabioyo, with his replacement Noni Madueke going on to score twice after combining well with Jadon Sancho in a much-improved second-half showing that saw 19-year-old academy graduate Tyrique George initially break the deadlock with his very first senior goal.

A struggling Palmer going off at half-time led many Chelsea fans to fear that he had picked up another knock after suffering a hamstring issue last month that ruled him out of England duty, but Maresca has now confirmed that the decision to withdraw both his star man and Tosin was planned ahead of schedule.

Asked if Palmer’s half-time hook was pre-planned or as the result of an injury, the Italian told reporters in his post-match press conference at the Marshall Jozef Pilsudski Stadium: “No, no, no, we planned for him and for Tosin 45 minutes so everything was planned.”