James McAtee was nowhere to be seen for Nottingham Forest in their defeat to Chelsea, however he has recently been full of praise for one Blue who was also not in action during the game.
It is set to be all change at the City Ground after Ange Postecoglou was sacked just minutes after the Blues’ dominant victory in the Premier League.
Pedro Neto was amongst those who found the net for Chelsea in a dominant second half, as the attackers continued to look to prove themselves in the absence of Cole Palmer.
Enzo Maresca is well aware of how important Palmer is to the club, and how big a miss he will be after he suffered a setback to an injury that has ruled him out for much of the 2025/26 campaign.
James McAtee looks on during Newcastle United v Nottingham Forest - Premier League
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James McAtee surprised by how good Cole Palmer is for Chelsea
Chelsea need someone to provide an instant impact similar to how the attacker did when he joined Manchester City, with many surprised at how quickly he became one of the best players in the Premier League.
McAtee was one of those who was caught off guard with the instant impact he made, telling FourFourTwo that he never expected him to become as good as he is.
He said: “When he was really young he was tiny, the smallest in the group, but Cole was technically very good. I think he got pushed on a year with the under-18s when I was playing – from there he was always one level ahead of everyone else, a great player.
“In the academy, we were competing against each other for a spot sometimes, but I remember watching him score in the Community Shield and the Super Cup for the first team, thinking, ‘Yeah, I want to be doing that as well’. When he went to Chelsea, I never expected him to do this well, but it’s so good that he has.”
Cole Palmer looks on during Chelsea against Manchester United in the Premier League.
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Palmer set to miss some big games for Chelsea
Maresca confirmed that Palmer would miss up to six more weeks of action after the Blues returned from the international break, meaning they will need to come up with solutions for a number of opponents.
This includes arch-rivals Tottenham, as well as potentially their biggest Champions League group stage match against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge.
Neto has enjoyed a very strong campaign while stepping up with the extra responsibility, while there may be a big few weeks coming for Estevao Willian to continue to announce himself to his new side.
The Brazilian was on the bench after representing his country over the international break, however could see himself return to the side for the European tie against Ajax.