Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf has criticised manager Enzo Maresca for starting Cole Palmer in their Premier League clash against Manchester United, despite the midfielder struggling with a groin injury.
Palmer had been a major doubt after holding his groin in Chelsea’s 3-1 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich last week. The England international missed games against West Ham United and Fulham, as well as international duty, to recover.
However, Maresca included Palmer in the starting XI at Old Trafford, only to substitute him after 21 minutes when the injury flared up again.
“Cole Palmer is a fantastic player and you need a Cole Palmer to create something, but you need him at 100 per cent,” Leboeuf told ESPN.
“If you have a Cole Palmer at 60 or 70 per cent, he is going to be useless because he can’t develop his skills.
“I had many groin problems throughout my career and you cannot play – it’s a nightmare. It can last for six months, so you need a rest and to make sure you properly heal.”
Leboeuf added that even world-class players like Maradona or Zidane shouldn’t play through such injuries, warning that rushing Palmer back could worsen the situation and keep him sidelined for longer.
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