Cole Palmer says Xabi Alonso has given him greater freedom to express himself at Chelsea, while admitting that a painful groin injury made his previous season and World Cup hopes extremely difficult.
.webp "Cole Palmer Finds Freedom Under Xabi Alonso After Frustrating Chelsea Spell")
The England international impressed in Chelsea’s 3-2 victory over Fulham, scoring a superb goal after being encouraged by Alonso to move freely across the pitch rather than remain within strict tactical positions.
Palmer suggested that such a run would not have been possible under his previous Chelsea managers, as he was previously expected to stay within specific areas of the pitch. Under Alonso, however, he has been given more licence to drop deeper, move across the field, receive the ball and create chances.
The 24-year-old also opened up about the groin injury that disrupted his previous campaign, revealing that he sometimes returned to action before he was fully fit because he feared missing England’s World Cup squad.
After consulting different specialists and working to prevent the problem from returning, Palmer says he now feels physically much better and is focused on regaining his sharpness through regular matches.
With Alonso giving him more freedom and Palmer feeling stronger physically, Chelsea will hope their star attacker can rediscover the outstanding form that made him one of the Premier League’s most exciting players.