Alan Shearer says Chelsea and England star Cole Palmer has been in a ‘horrible position’ as a result of his reoccurring injury problems.
Palmer has began lower than half of Chelsea’s Premier League games this season as he has been dogged by a persistent groin injury.
The 23-year-old, a former Premier League Young Player of the Season, scored a hat-trick in Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Wolves on Saturday.
Those three goals almost doubled Palmer’s tally for the season, taking him from 4 Premier League goals to seven.
Premier League record goalscorer and ex-England striker Shearer had his fair proportion of injury setbacks during his profession and says he ‘hated’ being within the position Palmer has found himself on this season.
‘It was really interesting listening to Cole Palmer after the [Wolves] game saying he’s having to administer his injury in a selected way,’ Shearer said on The Rest is Football podcast.
‘I hated being in that position as a player, when you realize you might want to get through an injury and you’re not with the ability to train as much as you wish.
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‘You get to the sport, then you’re back to square one when it’s feeling okay. It’s a horrible position to be in that so the earlier he gets over that the higher.’
Gary Lineker, who believes he suffered the very same issue as Palmer, added: ‘I do know that injury, funnily enough, I spent a yr at Everton with that injury.
‘It was the exact same as Cole Palmer’s one, it was niggly and I never trained, and that’s why people used to say he never trains, he just has a shower each day.
‘There was a reason for that. I used to be struggling. It never stopped me from playing, I could all the time play through it, however the niggle was there the entire time.
‘It wasn’t really until I had a break after the World Cup that it went away.
‘It’s a weird one, since it niggles you, when you play, you’re alright, but you’ll be able to do something, and it stiffens up. It feels like Cole goes through the identical thing.’
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior hailed Palmer as ‘world-class’ and ‘unstoppable’ following his hat-trick against bottom-placed Wolves.
‘We all know what a world-class player he’s,’ the brand new Stamford Bridge manager said. ‘He’s played loads of football over the past yr with not much rest.
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‘When he’s at his best, he’s unstoppable. I’m delighted to be working with him.’
Speaking at his pre-Leeds United press conference on Monday afternoon, Rosenior confirmed Palmer got here out of the Wolves win unscathed and was fit to begin at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.
‘Cole is obtainable for tomorrow,’ Rosenior said. ‘I feel any world-class player is significant to what you must achieve.
‘So for me, it’s been great to see him having fun with his football and on Saturday it’s been great to see him banging within the goals and hopefully his form continues in that way.’
Chelsea are fifth within the Premier League ahead of their clash with Sixteenth-placed Leeds, one point outside the top-four places.
Palmer’s injury issues earlier within the season appeared to place his World Cup hopes in jeopardy but Danny Murphy says he’s a ‘sure thing’ to be picked by England if he stays fit.
‘If he’s impacting games, like we all know he can, from now to the top of the season, he’s a sure thing to be within the squad,’ the previous Liverpool and England midfielder told BBC Sport.
‘He can play wide, he can play as a ten. He’s just so good on the ball and fashionable and easily doesn’t fear anybody.
‘Even if you happen to bring him off the bench, you realize he can do unbelievable things. He can win you a game in a heartbeat.’
Chelsea suffered a shock defeat to Leeds United the last time these two sides met in what turned out to be one in every of Enzo Maresca’s final games in charge.
The west Londoners have largely impressed since Rosenior replaced Maresca last month, winning seven of their last nine games, with the one two setbacks coming in either leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal.
‘I do know they’re out of the Carabao Cup but he’s had a rally good start,’ Shearer said of Rosenior, who left French side Strasbourg to take charge of Chelsea.
‘They’ve got Leeds and Burnley next [in the Premier League] as well so it’d get a bit tougher after that.
‘It’s been really good since you do feel like there’s some people who find themselves waiting for Rosenior to fail but he can’t control that.
‘You’ll be able to do and say whatever you want if you’re winning games. It’s going well for him.’
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