Chelsea shocked the whole Football World when they dropped Cole Palmer from their 27-man squad for the Europe Conference League campaign. Chelsea has explained this decision as a means of managing the schedule load of their star man.
The Blues finished sixth last season and were supposed to qualify for the Europa League, but they were demoted to the third tier of European competition after Manchester United won the FA Cup.
Chelsea, which aims to finish in the top four this season and qualify for the Champions League next season, has decided to rest talisman Cole Palmer for Conference so that he can channel his full strength into their Premier League campaign. In his debut season for Chelsea, Cole Palmer scored 22 Premier League goals and provided 11 assists.
The 22-year-old has started the new Premier League season on a good note, scoring one goal and providing four assists in three appearances. Cole Palmer is not the only Chelsea first player who was dropped from their Conference League squad; Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana did not also make the list.
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This decision shocked Gabby Agbonlahor, who claimed it was disrespectful to the conference League. He added that they would have done that if they had qualified for the Champions League or Europa League.
What did Gabby Agbonlahor say about Chelsea’s decision to drop Cole Palmer from their Europe Conference League squad?
When asked about Chelsea’s decision to drop Cole Palmer from their Europe Conference League squad, he said on talkSPORT: “I think it’s disrespectful to the competition because they wouldn’t do that for the Europa League or the Champions League.
“They’re looking at the Europa Conference League like, “Eurgh, we’re Chelsea, and we shouldn’t be in this… let’s rest our players who might pick up knocks”.
“Especially with Lavia and Fofana. They’ve had injury problems and they’re probably thinking, “Rest them in the Europa Conference League, we can play a weakened side and then concentrate on the Premier League with some of these players”.
“I think it’s quite disrespectful to the competition to be honest.”
He continued: “If I’m a team that is playing against them, I’m looking at them and would be like, ‘Come on, that’s a team talk… they’re resting a few players, not putting them in the squad because they’re thin there, the rest of their squad can beat you’.
“I do think that if I was playing against them I would be like, ‘Oh, Palmer doesn’t have to play does he? Is this a rubbish competition?’.
“But I do get it. You need a rest as well, the players do.”
Cole Palmer, who was named in Lee Carsley’s England squad for their Nations League matches against Ireland and Finland, dropped out because of a fitness issue.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will hope his star man recovers in time for their Premier League away game against Bournemouth. Cole Palmer has started all Chelsea Premier League games this season under Enzo Maresca.
