“He still has to improve things” - Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca makes stance clear on dropping Cole Palmer after being man-marked in Everton draw

Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca said he may drop talismanic midfielder Cole Palmer amid close marking from the opposition. The Englishman has found himself marked out of a few games this season, as was the case during his side's last game against Everton. The two sides played a goalless draw on the Premier League on Sunday (December 22).

Cole Palmer took the Premier League by storm in his first full season (2023-24), scoring 22 goals and providing 11 assists in 34 games as the Blues finished sixth. This season, teams have gotten used to the 22-year-old, often assigning a player to keep him company and mark him closely throughout games.

Enzo Maresca addressed the media ahead of Chelsea's clash with fellow West Londoners Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day (Thursday, December 26). He pointed out that the former Manchester City man needs to improve and adapt to teams tailoring their game plans to stop him from thriving.

He also implied that he may have to take the England international out of the firing line if he is man-marked, with the likes of Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku waiting to take his place.

"He still has to improve things in those moments. Especially because if you get frustrated, you lose your focus on the game. For sure, game after game, he’s going to understand more about when they mark him man-to-man, how to move. We already protected him in the Conference League which is why he was not in the squad. That is why he always starts in the Premier League," Maresca said (via Daily Mail).

Cole Palmer has already scored 11 goals and provided six assists in 17 appearances in the Premier League this season, helping the Blues reach second place in the log. He failed to score in each of the Blues' last two league games against sides known for their notoriously tough defending, Brentford and Everton.

Palmer will hope he finds his shooting boots ahead of the derby encounter at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea boss praises resurgent midfielder for form

Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca has praised midfielder Enzo Fernandez for the form he has shown in recent weeks. The Italian tactician made his point when asked about the Argentine midfielder during his press conference ahead of facing Fulham. In the same interaction, he said:

"We are very happy with Enzo. Once again against Everton, he showed he is doing very well. He was playing for one hour as a holding midfielder with Moi (Caicedo), then for the last half-an-hour we moved him in the pocket and we dropped Malo (Gusto) next to Moi, to change a little bit, and I feel that in both positions he was doing well. So he’s helping us a lot and also in terms of leadership he is growing, so we are happy with Enzo."

A £105 million signing from Benfica in 2023, Enzo Fernandez lost his place in the starting XI at Stamford Bridge due to a loss of form, but he appears to have put that behind him. The 23-year-old has helped Chelsea enjoy tactical flexibility, holding down multiple midfield roles in the team.

Enzo Fernandez has contributed three goals and eight assists in 21 appearances across competitions for Chelsea this season. The former Benfica man is thriving at Stamford Bridge and finally looks at home with the Blues.