Palestra made his long-awaited Chelsea debut against Bournemouth, but may need to fight for regular minutes after his injury spell.
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Xabi Alonso insists Chelsea summer signing Marco Palestra still needs time to get back to his best, but is excited for the “energy and power” that the defender offers.
Palestra made his official Chelsea debut in Saturday's 5-1 Premier League win over Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge. Coming on as a substitute in the second half, he got to play 18 minutes after struggling with a quadriceps injury at the start of the season.
Considering how prominent a role the 21-year-old played in pre-season under Alonso, there are unsurprisingly high expectations on him to hit the ground running following his injury return.
However, Alonso made it clear that he plans to give Palestra time to settle with the team.
“It’s a pity that he missed the start of the Premier League when he was feeling so well after the pre-season,” the Chelsea manager told the club’s in-house media after the Bournemouth win when asked about Palestra.
“He needs time to adapt, but he has energy, he has power, so we’re looking forward to (when) he feels great.”
Palestra will have to fight his way back into Chelsea starting line-up
One of the reasons Alonso can afford not to rush things with Palestra is his having other reliable options at wing-backs this season.
Palestra is versatile and strong with both feet, so he could slot in on either side of the pitch. He is primarily a right-back, but he also played significant minutes as a left wing-back during pre-season.
His versatility gives the Italy international an advantage in competition for starting spots, but this does not necessarily prove enough to jump ahead in the pecking order.
Pedro Neto seems to be the first-choice option on the right, ahead of Malo Gusto. Neto’s pace and ability to drive with the ball have been very valuable to Chelsea’s attack.
Naturally a right winger, the Portugal international could also form a front four with Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer, and Morgan Rogers if needed. He provided two assists in Chelsea's last two games.
At left wing-back, Pep Chavarria and Jorrel Hato are sharing minutes, with the former getting the nod to start against Bournemouth.
Palestra, who is known more for his attacking qualities than his defensive ones, arguably offers more on the left as an offensive option, since Neto already plays that role on the right.
However, it is worth noting that Palestra recorded the highest average top speed in Serie A last season, reaching 27.96 km/h, and completed the most dribbles (81) among defenders in the top five leagues last season.
So, given Palestra’s potential, even Neto’s spot in the team may not be completely safe despite his form.