Cole Palmer took his tally of Chelsea goals north of 50 on Saturday afternoon as the England star notched a hat-trick against Wolves, but Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker feel sympathy for him.
Palmer, 23, now has eight goals for the season as Liam Rosenior’s side won 3-1 at Molineux, easing to all three points. Rosenior is only the second English manager to win his first four Premier League matches.
While Rosenior will have been expected to pick up 12 points from a possible 12 against Brentford, Palace, West Ham, and Wolves, he has still got the job done. He can match Craig Shakespeare’s record next time.
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Liam Rosenior on Cole Palmer
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Chelsea host Leeds at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night, and Rosenior will be desperately hoping Palmer is fit, as the former Man City star looks to overcome a niggling groin injury. He played an hour at Wolves.
Alan Shearer says Cole Palmer situation is horrible at Chelsea
Alan Shearer was no stranger to injury during his career, despite going on to become the Premier League’s record goalscorer. He has been there and done it and knows how tough it is to play injured.
That is the case with Palmer at the moment. He is not 100% fit, and even Palmer admitted that on the weekend, saying he can’t wait to get “proper fit” again. But the schedule is unrelenting for Palmer.
Cole Palmer
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Another game, just three days later. Speaking on The Rest Is Football, Shearer said he felt sympathy for Palmer and described playing with an injury or not fully fit as a “horrible” situation to be enduring.
“It was really interesting listening to Cole. I hate being in that position as a player, not being able to train as much as you want. You get to the game, then you’re back to square one. Horrible position to be in.”
Gary Lineker knows exactly what Palmer is going through
Palmer’s frustration has been there for all to see. His first goal under Rosenior came from the penalty spot against Brentford, but his celebration was subdued. After the match, Palmer stormed down the tunnel.
Clearly, the injury is a difficult one, both physically and mentally. Gary Lineker says, from what it looks like, that he went through the same thing during a season at Everton. The only cure? The ability to simply rest.
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“I know that injury, funnily enough, I spent a year at Everton with that injury. It was niggly, I never trained, and that’s why people used to say he never trains, he just has a bath every day,” Lineker recalled.
“There was a reason for that. I was struggling. But it never stopped me playing; you could play through it. The niggle was there all the time, it wasn’t really until I had a break after the World Cup that it went away.
“It’s a weird one, because it niggles you, once you play, you’re alright, but you can do something, and it stiffens up, if that is what it is,” Lineker continued, comparing Palmer’s injury issues to his own.
Ultimately, between now and the summer, Palmer is going to be looked after. Subbed when Chelsea can afford to do so, rested when a rest is possible, like the FA Cup game against Hull. A difficult situation.
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