Chelsea fans would have been fearing the worst when Cole Palmer picked up an injury during the warm-up ahead of the game against West Ham on Friday night.
Palmer was set to start against the Hammers, but pulled out at the last minute after he picked up an injury just before the game kicked off.
According to Enzo Maresca, Palmer did not feel completely comfortable, so the Italian decided not to take any risks with the attacking midfielder.
Eventually, the Blues did not need their talisman as they ran out 5-1 victors on the night.
In the absence of Palmer, Maresca decided to move Joao Pedro into the No.10 position, where the Brazilian proved to be extremely effective.
On the night, Pedro managed to score one goal and register two assists, helping Chelsea to pick up their first three points of the season.
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Frank Leboeuf gives his verdict on Cole Palmer missing West Ham clash
While Maresca would have wanted Palmer — his best player — on the pitch, Frank Leboeuf thinks Pedro getting an opportunity to play off Liam Delap was a “good thing”.
Speaking on ESPN FC, the Chelsea legend said: “That [Palmer’s injury] was for us an opportunity to see Joao Pedro taking the position of Cole Palmer, and that was quite effective.”
“We talked about it last week and we can see that there is a possibility that Cole Palmer can rest at some time — I don’t know how long he’s going to be injured — and Joao Pedro can take over. So that was the good thing.”
Ahead of the game against the Hammers, Maresca had spoken about Pedro’s versatility and his ability to play five different positions.
And after his performance against Chelsea’s London rivals, one can now say that No.10 is definitely one of them.
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