Injuries have stunted Palmer’s progress at times this season, preventing him fromrecapturing the kind of form that delivered 25 goals and the PFA Young Player of the Year award during his debut campaign at Chelsea.
Pressed on whether the 24-year-old looks a little frustrated, Johnson said: “I'd say more not himself. Certainly doesn't look as settled. But we're talking about him because it's Cole Palmer. Nothing's been settled. There's not been a single thing around the club that's been settled, so it's hard for the players to perform.
“Everyone always says, ‘just play your game, train hard, play your games, let the football do the talking and don’t worry about what goes on, let other people worry about the off-field stuff’. That's easy to say, but it's quite hard to do.
“You start buying into a new manager's philosophy, working hard the way he wants you to do, running places he wants you to run in, and then he's sacked a month later and you've got to start again. So yes, the players have to be professional and focus on themselves the best way they can, but at the same time it's hard because it just knocks your momentum.”