Chelsea players huddle
Chelsea players huddle prior to their pre-season friendly with Juventus(Image: Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images)
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Chelsea supporters are desperate to see Marco Palestra out on the pitch. They have been since the start of the season.
It has been frustrating for Xabi Alonso and the fans. But nobody will be more frustrated than Palestra himself.
football.london was among a handful of media outlets that travelled from England to Australia over the summer and were given the opportunity to speak to Chelsea's £47million signing. It was a fascinating interview where we spoke to the young defender about his upbringing, the Italian connection at Chelsea, his decision to move to London and we even looked ahead to the start of his debut season in the Premier League.
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The interview in question was around a month before Palestra was scheduled to make his Premier League debut against Fulham on August 24. "I can't wait to put the Chelsea shirt on in the Premier League," said the smiling 21-year-old at the time, however he's had no choice but to wait.
After suffering an injury relating to his quad in preparation for Chelsea's trip to Craven Cottage, Palestra is yet to feature in a competitive fixture for the Blues. The last time we saw him on the pitch for Chelsea was way back against Real Sociedad on August 15, where he recorded 76 minutes in the final pre-season match of the summer.
Alonso was instrumental in bringing Palestra to Stamford Bridge with the Chelsea manager a huge admirer of the versatile full-back. With Alonso preferring a 3-4-3 shape, Palestra is viewed as someone who specialises as a wing-back, and, crucially, the Italy international can operate on either flank.
Marco Palestra
Marco Palestra is yet to feature for Chelsea this season due to injury(Image: Pedro Porru/MB Media)
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We saw that in pre-season but Alonso has been hampered in the early days of his tenure by not having the £47m man at his disposal. At times, Alonso has had to try and calm Palestra down and manage the youngster's zealous attitude.
Speaking prior to Chelsea's 3-0 defeat to Brentford where the Blues were, once again, Palestra-less, Alonso said: "He's quite frustrated after a very good pre-season, not to be able to play and make his debut in the Premier League.
"But I tell him, 'Marco, easy, the season is long, there will be a lot of games, you will play your role, you will have your minutes, you will enjoy your game'. But he is full of energy and you need to control that."
There was some hope that Palestra would have been among the Chelsea squad that travelled to Brentford, but he wasn't quite ready. "If not Brentford, then Bournemouth for sure," Alonso said before the defeat at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Bournemouth come to Stamford Bridge in a week's time in Chelsea's first match after the international break. To have Palestra fit and available gives the Blues - and this is not overselling it - another dimension.
Marco Palestra
Marco Palestra is still waiting to make his official Chelsea debut(Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC)
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A specialist wing-back and Alonso cannot speak highly enough about what he will eventually offer his Chelsea team.
"He has had the education in Italian football to play both profiles [both wing-back roles]," said Alonso towards the end of August. "It doesn't matter if you are right-footed or left-footed, just that you are versatile.
"So he has this option, this energy. He's something different, maybe not that common here, but in Italy it's quite common."
Pedro Neto has been used predominantly as a right-sided wing-back thus far this season. The Portugal international is a makeshift option there and - for the most part - has done a decent job but there is a feeling that Palestra will offer Chelsea more on that side. Especially given what we saw from the mightily impressive Palestra during Chelsea's pre-season tour over the summer.
Or on the left flank, where it has mostly been one of Jorrel Hato or Pep Chavarria this term.
Alonso will be cautious not to overdo it when Palestra is fit again given his lengthy layoff but the Chelsea manager might be keen to see how many minutes he can get out of the former Atalanta defender this weekend.
New Chelsea signing Marco Palestra
Marco Palestra impressed for Chelsea in pre-season but has been injured since(Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC)
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The Blues are scheduled to take on Championship team Portsmouth in a behind-closed-doors friendly over the weekend and Palestra, who has trained this week with the select few of the first-team squad not on international duty, is likely to be involved.
Alonso could well see this private match as the perfect opportunity to give Palestra some much-needed minutes on the pitch. Preparing for the competitive, physical nature of the Premier League is really difficult to do, but a taste of action against second-tier opposition is not a bad way of doing things.
Given how secretive Alonso has been with team news and injury-related queries since taking over at Chelsea, it is interesting to see how difficult leaks are to come by for when the Blues take on Pompey.
One thing is for sure: Alonso will not want to give Bournemouth head coach Marco Rose any information that doesn't need to be given a week before Chelsea's showdown with the Cherries.