Maresca Affirms Chelsea’s Palmer Remains Undeterred by Goal Drought Ahead of Clash with Leicester City

Cole Palmer’s goal drought has not dampened the spirits of the Chelsea attacking midfielder, according to manager Enzo Maresca, ahead of their Premier League clash with Leicester City.

The England international, who enjoyed a remarkable breakthrough season last year with 27 goals and 15 assists, has not found the back of the net in his last eight appearances across all competitions, squandering several promising opportunities in recent games.

“Scoring certainly brings joy as your goals contribute to the team’s success. However, overall, Cole is in a good place. He’s feeling positive,” Maresca told the media.

“He is aware that he is currently experiencing a tough patch in front of goal, but such challenges are normal in a season. Watching him in training, you’d never guess it was affecting him; he’s exceptional.”

Maresca also shared updates regarding the fitness of defender Wesley Fofana, midfielder Romeo Lavia, and striker Nicolas Jackson.

“Wes (Fofana) has been training with us for over ten days, so he’s back in action,” the Italian coach explained.

“Romeo (Lavia) has started training with us, which is good news, though he’s still not at full fitness. Nico (Jackson) has begun running outside, but it seems his recovery programme remains unchanged—likely, we’ll see him back after the international break.”

Chelsea, currently placed fifth in the standings with 46 points from 27 matches, will be optimistic about securing a home victory on Sunday against 19th-placed Leicester, who have faced defeat in their last four league outings.

Having left Leicester at the start of the season to take the reins at Chelsea, Maresca expressed his sympathies for the struggling Foxes and their under-pressure manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, who is a former teammate of his at Malaga.

“I really support Ruud, primarily because he is a friend of mine and because of the situation he’s in,” he added.

“He’s doing his utmost, and I wish him all the best. We know that times are tough…”

“Right now, though, my focus is on us. Now that I’m here, I’m solely concentrating on how we can improve; the solutions are for Ruud, the sporting director, and the owner to find.”