Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca says he felt there was no need to bring on Cole Palmer in the Blues' 2-0 Carabao Cup loss to Newcastle on Wednesday.
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Chelsea knocked out by NewcastlePalmer unused substituteMaresca says star was not neededFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Blues crashed out of the Carabao Cup at the last-16 stage, losing 2-0 to Newcastle despite beating them at Stamford Bridge a few days earlier. Maresca opted to include Palmer in the squad as a substitute and the 22-year-old did not even get the call to come on with his side trailing by two goals.
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The former Leicester boss explained his decision to leave Palmer out, saying: "Simply because I think Joao [Felix] and Christo [Nkunku] were doing very good. The reason why [we brought him] was in case we needed Cole but Joao and Christo were doing well so there was no need to change."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Palmer's omission is probably deeper than what Maresca explained in his post-match press conference. The Blues are heavily reliant on the young England star and therefore must manage his minutes coming into a busy period. Palmer was also left out of Chelsea's squad for the Conference League and is seemingly being prioritised for Premier League action instead.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?
A big match is on the horizon for Maresca's side on Sunday when Chelsea take on Manchester United at Old Trafford. There is no doubting Palmer will be involved in that game as the London team look to break into the Premier League's top four.
