Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf has criticized manager Enzo Maresca for starting Cole Palmer in the Premier League clash against Manchester United despite the midfielder’s ongoing groin injury.
Palmer, who missed recent games against West Ham, Fulham, and England’s international fixtures, was a doubt after showing discomfort in the 3-1 Champions League loss to Bayern Munich last week.
However, Maresca named him in the starting lineup at Old Trafford, only to withdraw the 22-year-old after 21 minutes as the problem flared up again.
“Cole Palmer is a fantastic player and you need him to create something, but you need him at 100 per cent,” Leboeuf told ESPN.
“If you have him at 60 or 70 per cent, he’s 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 to heal properly.”
Leboeuf added that even players of the highest quality must only return when fully fit, warning that rushing Palmer back could prolong his recovery and hurt Chelsea’s season.
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