Since joining Chelsea from Manchester City, Cole Palmer has enjoyed a meteoric rise and developed into one of the biggest stars in all of football. But Enzo Maresca is someone who knew the Englishman well before superstardom and the signature 'cold' celebration. The Italian coached him during their time at the Citizens' youth system.
It is very clear that Chelsea do not have a player as good as Palmer right now. That has been very clear from their struggles in the absence of the Englishman, as he continues to deal with a groin injury that has troubled him since before the Club World Cup.
Many have called for Estevao to be given a chance in the number 10 role in the absence of Palmer. But Maresca does not believe that the Brazilian is ready to play centrally, just like the Englishman was not during his time at the Machester City academy.
As reported by Metro, when asked about Estevao playing in the number 10 role, Palmer said:
"I think Cole’s path has been similar to Estevao’s path in terms of starting wide as a winger. And then slowly, slowly you can move inside.
‘The Premier League is completely different compared to other countries in the world. If you want to play in the middle you need to be physically prepared.
‘I think Cole now is like that. In the past he needed to develop that. And I see Estevao exactly in the same way."
Enzo Maresca claims Chelsea youngster reminds him of Cole Palmer
That does seem a pretty accurate assessment of Estevao, to be very honest. He has shown flashes of brilliance while playing on the wing, but needs to improve his output and decision-making in front of goal. He might be pretty close to nailing down a starting spot on the flank if he can do that in the near future.
On top of that, he will need to be more physically ready as well, if he wants to play in that number 10 role. So, the time might not be right to hand him that responsibility.
Facundo Buonanotte has been doing pretty well in that role, and one can only hope that Palmer will be back after the international break. That being said, it is important to give him enough time to recover fully from the groin issue and prevent it from becoming a recurring problem throughout the season.