One player set to suffer as Enzo Maresca faces massive Cole Palmer call

A surprise announcement from Enzo Maresca on Friday made it clear that Cole Palmer is fit to play for Chelsea against Arsenal today – and perhaps even start the game.

We don’t think he’ll start – he’s way short of match fitness to come into a match like this. But clearly he’s in line for minutes and could be starting within a week or two.

Enzo Maresca has big questions for his attack with Palmer’s return

Enzo Maresca with Joao Pedro. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

That’s superb news for Enzo Maresca and Chelsea – but means big pressure on those in the team now fighting for their place.

Maresca had figured out a setup in attack he really liked – Pedro Neto on the right wing, Alejandro Garnacho on the left wing, Liam Delap leading the line and Joao Pedro playing in the hole behind him.

With Palmer back, someone is going to miss out. The England star could play on the right wing, but Neto is an important player and in good form, the team needs his pace and work rate on that flank. Potentially he could be shifted to the left and Garnacho dropped with Palmer coming in from the right, but we don’t see that happening.

In terms of form, Delap is the obvious one to drop. He’s only managed one goal this season thanks to injury and suspension, and has struggled in some games. But leaving him out and pushing Joao Pedro forward potentially hurts the Brazilian, who has performed much better when leading the line.

It still seems Maresca’s most likely move.

In other news…

Ray Parlour has been speaking in the buildup to this game and he said that a draw would be a good result for Arsenal. That’s a big compliment for Enzo Maresca’s team.

Today is a huge game which Chelsea would love to win, but the club aren’t putting any pressure on Enzo Maresca, who has already done better than they expected and is making great progress.