Soccer

Enzo Maresca knows a growing reputation could mean frustration for Cole Palmer

The England international is the creative heartbeat of Chelsea.

Cole Palmer must be ready for opposition teams to target him, according to Enzo Maresca
Cole Palmer must be ready for opposition teams to target him, according to Enzo Maresca (Bradley Collyer/PA)
By Robert O'Connor, PA

Cole Palmer must get used to being targeted by opposition tactics as his reputation as a matchwinner grows, according to Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca.

The 22-year-old has scored 32 goals since arriving at Stamford Bridge at the start of last season and is the creative heartbeat of Maresca’s impressive young side.

Chelsea travel to Old Trafford on Sunday to face a Manchester United side under the leadership of interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, who deployed two holding midfielders in the 5-2 Carabao Cup win over Leicester on Wednesday.

It was suggested to Maresca the move could have been in preparation for stymying Palmer when the teams meet in United’s first Premier League outing since the sacking of Erik ten Hag.

“I’m ready for that,” he said. “Cole, I don’t know whether he’s ready, you’ll have to ask him.

“The next step for Cole is not to get frustrated when teams mark him man-to-man, because all the best players in the world are marked man-to-man.

“After last season, the first after arriving at Chelsea, it was the opposite, teams were not so worried about Cole.

“But this year they are worried so he has to start getting used to being marked man-to-man. The next step for him is knowing it will be more difficult.”

Palmer’s winner against Newcastle last weekend was his 19th goal in 15 home league appearances.

Maresca showed then that he is willing to rejig the team’s shape if it means successfully countering opposition plans to mark his number 10 out of the game.

And it proved shrewd thinking as Palmer was instrumental in the victory that moved the team fifth in the table and shored up their top-four credentials.

A stunning pass from a deep position helped set up Nicolas Jackson to give his team the lead before the England international struck from the edge of the box to win it in the second half.

“The only thing we can do is do what we did against Newcastle, try to move Cole from his position and to give him more time and space,” said Maresca.

“He played on the other side against Newcastle because if he was in his position, probably Joelinton marks him man-to-man, so we tried to move him and give him different options.”

Chelsea will face a United side in interregnum after it was confirmed new manager Ruben Amorim will not start work until having served a notice period at Sporting Lisbon.

That means Van Nistelrooy leading the team for the second of what will be four games at the helm for the interim boss.

Maresca, who like Amorim is new to the Premier League this season, offered his backing to the Portuguese coach.

“I watched many games of Sporting, I know the way they play, it’s fantastic,” he said. “The way they defend, they way they attack, they are very good. For sure I have no doubt he’s going do a great job at Man United.

“Probably the only difficulty that he’ll find is it’s a different country, Portugal to England. It’s a matter of adapting to that. In terms football he’s a very good manager and he’s going to do a great job with Man United.”