The Chelsea first team squad have not been given long to recover from a mammoth campaign before the trip to the United States to take part in the Club World Cup.
The Blues are going to be taking the competition seriously due to the serious financial rewards on offer, and have already added Liam Delap to their ranks before the tournament.
Todd Boehly confirmed Andrey Santos would be present too, as a number of new faces are set to be on display for Enzo Maresca’s side.
One player who the manager will be relying on as ever is Cole Palmer, despite the fact that he is currently off representing England on the international stage.
Enzo Maresca says Cole Palmer can announce himself to America during Club World Cup
The attacking midfielder will no doubt be keen to get a tour of America under his belt after he did not join the trip last summer.
Maresca has claimed that Palmer has the chance to establish his name further to a whole new fanbase in North America during the upcoming Club World Cup.
He said: “The fans in America were spectacular from the very beginning. As far as culture is concerned, Brazilian fans usually create a great atmosphere, it’s part of their culture. They are usually happy and incredibly entertaining. So with their football culture coming together with ours hopefully we’ll be able to ensure that the people who come to watch the game at the stadium have a great time.
“When you are at Chelsea your goal is always to win. So, our goal – each and every single game – will always be to try to win.
“I’ve said it more than once: Cole Palmer is up there with the very best top players who can produce something at any moment, create something out of nothing. He wasn’t with me on the USA tour last summer, so it will also be a chance for him to experience the environment there and to introduce himself to North America.”
Palmer looking to reignite old relationship
By the time Palmer makes his first appearance for Chelsea in America, he is likely to be feeding a completely new striker.
Delap will likely be leading the line ahead of Nicolas Jackson, and the duo will be hoping to bring back the fruitful partnership they established during their time at Manchester City together.
Delap and Palmer performed exceptionally together when they started for the academy, and Maresca will be hoping that they can rekindle this relationship when they link up for him.
Enzo Maresca, Vincent Kompany, Luis Enrique, Pep Guardiola and Paul Posa were speaking ahead of the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. Watch all 63 games live on DAZN for free.
