Cole Palmer has desire to fire Chelsea into Champions League – Enzo Maresca

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca believes Cole Palmer has rediscovered his touch in time to help fire the Blues to Champions League qualification.

The England forward went almost four months without scoring before finally breaking his duck in the 3-1 win over champions Liverpool, capping a superb individual display with a penalty in stoppage time.

Maresca’s side know victories in their final two matches, beginning with Manchester United at home on Friday, will be enough to secure a top-five finish and a return to Europe’s top competition after a two-year absence, and the Italian has seen enough from Palmer to indicate he is back to his best.

“We have three more games and Cole’s desire in these three games is to be an important player,” he said.

“The thing is that probably you judge an important player just whether he is able to score or assist, but against Liverpool his performance was top in all aspects, in terms of sacrifice, desire, helping his teammates.

“We’re happy with that kind of performance from Cole. If he’s able to score and assist, we will be more happy.”

Despite having been assembled at a cost of well over £1billion, most of Maresca’s squad have limited if any Champions League experience.

Of the XI who started Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Newcastle only Palmer, Marc Cucurella, Trevoh Chalobah and Enzo Fernandez have played in the competition.

Fernandez played in the group stage for Benfica in 2022-23 before moving to Stamford Bridge, while Chalobah and Cucurella were involved in Chelsea’s run to the quarter-final that season.

Palmer made a handful of appearances for Manchester City but did not feature in any of their knockout matches en route to winning the trophy in 2023.

Nevertheless, Maresca believes his squad is ready to make the step up.

“I think Moises (Caicedo) also is a player that deserves to be in the Champions League,” he said. “Enzo Fernandez and Levi Colwill deserve the Champions League. We have many players that in terms of status deserve to play Champions League.

“Tactics is important (over the run-in) but it’s also important the other aspect, that players take responsibility and also show desire to bring this club to where it has to be.”

Maresca will be without striker Nicolas Jackson for the final league games following his red card for elbowing Newcastle’s Sven Botman on Sunday.

It leaves a gap in Chelsea’s attack with the club’s only other senior striker, 19-year-old Marc Guiu, out injured since February, while Christopher Nkunku, who can also fill in as a number nine, is also out.

Despite the huge transfer outlay over the last three seasons the club have resisted bringing in an established goalscorer in favour of youth, but Maresca indicated he would like reinforcements in attack.

He said: “In my personal opinion (Jackson) has grown a lot, improved a lot. If another nine was here, probably it was be better for him? I don’t know.

Asked whether he would want direct competition for Jackson next season, Maresca said: “A hundred per cent.”