Chelsea are gearing up to start their Champions League campaign this season against Bayern Munich. Both teams feature strong squads, although Enzo Maresca will be without some key players for the matchup. Notably, Nicolas Jackson, who switched to Bavaria in the summer on a season-long loan with an obligation to turn the move permanent if certain conditions are met.
Jackson could also make his Champions League debut, that too against his parent club. It is certainly one of the things to keep an eye on and one of the big storylines going into the matchup.
Anyway, now coming back to Chelsea, Maresca was recently handed a major boost with the return of Cole Palmer, who was out with a groin injury. The number 10, who came on as a substitute against Brentford, also scored a goal to get them back into the game.
Palmer has already established himself as one of the best playmakers in the world. Now, his international teammate and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has shared his opinion on whether he can be considered a world-class player just yet. According to Bayern’s official YouTube channel (via The Chelsea Chronicle), the England captain said:
"Whenever you have a No.10 who can find through balls, [make] good crosses, [have] good link-up play, drop deep and play longer balls, arrive in the box and score goals… I think he has all the attributes to be a world-class player. For me, world class is when you do it over a period of time, consistently over five, 10 years. For sure, he’s on that path."
Harry Kane shares opinion on Chelsea's Cole Palmer
Palmer joined Chelsea from Manchester City in 2023 for a fee of around €47 million which will surely feel like a bargain now as the number 10 is currently indispensable for the Blues. He was instrumental in winning both the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup last season despite some shaky form in the second half of the campaign.
Palmer has appeared 99 times for Chelsea so far while scoring 44 goals and providing 29 assists. He has been the top scorer for the club in the last two consecutive seasons with 22 and 15 goals respectively.
The matchup against Bayern Munich would be special, as it would mark the star’s 100th appearance for the Blues. Palmer is expected to start in his natural number 10 position. Will he be able to register a goal involvement in his landmark game for Chelsea? That remains to be seen.