Chelsea ‘need to protect’ Palmer, says Pochettino

Cole Palmer was taken off against Sheffield United because of fatigue, according to Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Palmer, the Blues’ standout performer this season, was replaced by Carney Chukwuemeka during the second half at Bramall Lane, where Chelsea drew 2-2.

Asked if Palmer had picked up an injury, Pochettino said: “No, no, no. I think he was tired. My feeling was he was tired. Carney is another number 10 who can play there and do the job.


“We need to protect him. He got a knock against Manchester United and was a bit more tired than normal.

“We wanted to protect him after scoring the second goal – trying to avoid a problem in the future.”

Oli McBurnie’s stoppage-time equaliser for bottom side United denied Chelsea victory and was a major blow to their hopes of securing a European spot. Check out the crypto casino sites listed here.

“When you concede in the last minutes you always feel very disappointed and frustrated because you should win the game,” Pochettino admitted.