Cole Palmer was nearly forced to undergo surgery on the groin injury that plagued him throughout last season. He is back at full bore after a restful summer, though, and featured in the Blues' 6-4 defeat of Western Sydney Wanderers last week, assisting one of Joao Pedro's three late goals.
What happened?
Palmer has now lifted the lid on his injury hell, revealing that a rushed comeback almost saw him forced to go under the knife. “The first few months, with me being injured, I just wanted to go out and play, which I probably shouldn’t have done,” he told reporters in Sydney.
Why it matters for Chelsea FC
There is plenty of cause for Palmer to be optimistic heading into the new campaign, not least because Chelsea has laid out £117million to sign his close friend Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa. The pair are England team-mates and played together in Manchester City’s academy setup.
What comes next?
Palmer is said to have nicked his now iconic ‘cold’ celebration - which he has since legally trademarked - from Rogers, and joked he is prepared to take action if Rogers uses it this season. “I’ve trademarked it so if he tries to do anything, he’ll have the bailiffs at his door,” he chuckled, before adding: “We've never actually spoken about it. He does it. I do it.
Goals this season: 53 scored, 41 conceded (+12 goal difference).
