Chelsea’s Champions League campaign suffered a setback in Bavaria as they fell 3-1 to Bayern Munich on Wednesday night. Despite the result, Blues fans had reason to celebrate the return of Cole Palmer, who marked his 100th appearance for the club with a brilliant goal.
Palmer, back in the starting XI after recovering from a groin injury that sidelined him for four weeks, looked sharp throughout the contest. He even saw a second goal narrowly ruled out for offside. But towards the closing stages, concern spread when the England international was spotted clutching his inner leg and grimacing before the final whistle.
Speaking after the match, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca moved quickly to calm fears of a fresh setback.
“Cole, I think, is okay. He said he was okay,” Maresca told reporters.
Reflecting on the defeat, Maresca admitted the gap in experience between Bayern and his youthful Chelsea side was decisive:
“In terms of experience between them and us, I think there was a huge difference. But even with that, we’re sure that we competed in the right way.”
The Italian coach also stressed that the performance showed signs of progress despite the result:
“Against this team, to try to dominate and control the game for 95 minutes is not reality. It’s difficult to adapt. But in the way we competed for part of the game, we were very good. The mistakes are something we can learn from. I have the feeling we can build something special from this defeat.”
Chelsea now turn their focus back to domestic action, hoping Palmer’s fitness holds firm as the Blues aim to build momentum in both the Premier League and Europe.
