Jose Mourinho Assesses Cole Palmer Ahead of Chelsea Return: "He’s Phenomenal"
- Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho has rated England international Cole Palmer highly due to his playing skills
- Mourinho has handled some of the best players in the world during his stint with Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and others
- The 62-year-old also hit out at his former employers for their spending habits during the summer transfer
Former Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho has described Cole Palmer as a phenomenal player.
Palmer scored a brace in Chelsea's 3-0 win against reigning UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain at the MetLife Stadium in the USA. The 23-year-old won the Golden Ball of the tournament following three goals and two assists.
The England international played a vital role in Chelsea's 4-1 win over Real Betis as he provided two assists, helping the Blues to win all four major European competitions.
In the English Premier League last season, Palmer scored his 30th goal against Aston Villa in their 3-0 home win, making him Chelsea's second fastest player to score 30 league goals.
Source: Getty Images
Mourinho to stage comeback to Chelsea
Chelsea will welcome Jose Mourinho on matchday two of the UEFA Champions League as they host Benfica.
According to One Football, the Portuguese is happy the Premier League giants will be without Cole Palmer on Tuesday, September 30.
The 62-year-old explained that the London club possesses a good team that can compete anywhere in the world. He said:
“I’m happy with that, he’s a phenomenal player.
“But I think they have a good team, in a way that if Cole Palmer doesn’t play it’s not a problem for them.
“If (Heorhiy) Sudakov doesn’t play or if (Vangelis) Pavlidis doesn’t play, I am in big trouble. But for Chelsea, no problem.”
Palmer suffered an injury during the Premier League encounter with 20-time PL winners Manchester United. The 23-year-old is expected to return to action after the international break.
Source: Getty Images
Chelsea’s injury concerns ahead of Benfica clash
Not only will England international Cole Palmer miss the match against Benfica, but the Blues are also facing a defensive crisis, with both Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana unavailable.
Adarabioyo is sidelined with a calf injury, while Fofana is out due to a concussion sustained against Lincoln, leaving Enzo Maresca with limited options at centre-back.
Trevoh Chalobah and Josh Acheampong are currently available, while Jorrel Hato, who started against Brighton, could also be considered.
Benoit Badiashile made his season debut against the Seagulls, but overall, it’s far from an ideal situation for the Blues, per Chelsea News.
Mourinho says he is broke
Legit.ng earlier reported that in his trademark blunt fashion, Mourinho downplayed talk of a lucrative deal and insisted he is in the red financially because he accepted the Benfica job.
The former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss explained that he could have enjoyed time with his family in London or gone on holiday after getting sacked by Fenerbahce, but chose to return to management for the love of competition.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
