Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Marco Palestra was one of the stars of Chelsea’s pre-season but is yet to make his competitive debut for the club.
Palestra impressed against Juventus and the other teams Chelsea faced on tour but picked up an injury before the start of the new campaign.
As a result, the defender has missed all of the Blues’ Premier League games so far. He was also unavailable for their two victories in the Carabao Cup.
Chelsea hoping for Marco Palestra return this Friday
Chelsea’s next match is against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, and the good news is that Palestra could be back for it.
Enzo Fernandez for Man City
Photo by Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images
According to football.london, Palestra was doing some individual training last week and there is now hope that he could be fit enough to make the trip to Brentford on Friday.
If not, Pedro Neto will be expected to continue in the right wing-back position, should Chelsea line up in a back three.
Malo Gusto is another option, and Chelsea supporters would much rather see him there than in midfield.
With Moises Caicedo injured and Enzo Fernandez no longer at Stamford Bridge, Xabi Alonso has been using Gusto in midfield, much to the dissatisfaction of Chelsea fans.
Marco Palestra’s stats last season
Chelsea invested a lot of money in Palestra, bringing him in from Atalanta for a £47m fee.
Marco Palestra of Atalanta Bc during warm up before the
Photo by Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images
Palestra was in demand after a solid loan spell at Cagliari. There, he played as a right wing-back and put up some very good attacking numbers.
According to WhoScored, Palestra completed 1.9 dribbles and 0.9 key passes per game in Serie A. He was also fouled 2.9 times per game.
It is no surprise that Alonso wanted to sign him. The 21-year-old has shown that he is perfect for his system.
In total, Palestra played 37 league games, scoring one goal and providing four assists. In terms of his defensive numbers, the Italian made 1.5 tackles and 0.5 interceptions per game.