Chelsea’s Palestra return would give Alonso a wing-back option
Marco Palestra is likely to feature in Chelsea’s behind-closed-doors friendly against Portsmouth, offering the £47m signing a possible first return minutes after his quad injury.
Palestra could get a first chance to return against Portsmouth
football.london reports that Chelsea are scheduled to play the Championship side over the weekend, with Palestra among the players expected to be involved. The defender trained this week alongside the select group of first-team players who were not away on international duty.
There is no guarantee he will play, let alone start. But after a frustrating spell on the sidelines, the private match could give Xabi Alonso an opportunity to ease him back into action and assess his readiness for the demands of competitive football.
Palestra was expected to make his Premier League debut against Fulham on August 24, but sustained a quad-related injury while preparing for Chelsea’s trip to Craven Cottage. He has yet to appear in a competitive fixture for the Blues.
His last outing for Chelsea came in the final pre-season match, when he played 76 minutes against Real Sociedad on August 15. Alonso had previously indicated that Bournemouth might be a possible return point, but Palestra was not ready for the meeting with Brentford.
The 21-year-old Italy international is a versatile full-back who can operate on either flank. Alonso views him as a natural option for the wing-back roles in his 3-4-3 system, so his return would give Chelsea a different profile in those positions.
Pedro Neto has mainly filled in as a right-sided wing-back, while Jorrel Hato or Pep Chavarria have featured on the left. Palestra could give Alonso another option on either side, but one friendly will not settle the selection picture or prove he is ready for a full competitive workload.
After a lengthy layoff, careful minutes management should be the priority. The Portsmouth game could help Palestra build toward the physical intensity of the Premier League, but it would not, by itself, confirm his availability for the next match.
Chelsea face Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge after the international break. Palestra is likely to be involved against Portsmouth, but Alonso is not expected to provide unnecessary detail about his minutes or fitness ahead of that fixture.
In other news…
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