Chelsea's new manager Xabi Alonso stated that Cole Palmer is ready to shine this season for the London club. Alonso called Palmer a 'world-class' player and supported the Englishman in his desire to play the best football after completing full pre-season training under the Spaniard's guidance.
Palmer, who has established himself as one of Chelsea's key attacking players since joining the team, had the opportunity to work with Alonso from the first day of pre-season in Cobham. As Chelsea prepares to start its Premier League campaign with an away match against Fulham on Monday, Alonso believes that Palmer is in a strong position to have a significant impact.
During a press conference before the match, Alonso noted: 'Cole is determined to enjoy his football. He wants to be fit. He wants to feel healthy. He wants to have a good connection with the players around him.'
He continued, adding: 'And I said that if we have this Cole, and we can reach him, and he feels this flow in the game, and he connects well with the players, I am confident that his level is top class, world-class, I would say, and he will have a great season.'
Palmer's progress was previously interrupted by injuries at various stages of his career, but Alonso believes that the forward has learned lessons from these setbacks and is now paying more attention to his physical preparation. When asked if Palmer's injury problems were behind him, Alonso replied: 'Yes. I think sometimes you have to go through a difficult moment with an injury or something like that to learn from it.'
The coach added that 'Cole went through a difficult period with an injury, and now he is working very hard to prevent experiencing those symptoms. From day one, he is trying hard to avoid it.'
'Chelsea' will begin its 2026/27 Premier League season against Fulham at Craven Cottage stadium on Monday.