Willy Caballero has opened up about Chelsea fans’ reaction to Cole Palmer’s substitution in their 2-2 draw against Bournemouth on Tuesday, December 30. He pointed to the Englishman’s injury issues, saying that the substitution was made for his well-being in the long term.
The Blues hosted Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Tuesday. An enthralling first half saw the scores level at 2-2, with Palmer scoring a penalty as well. However, he was subbed off in the 63rd minute for Joao Pedro. The club’s fans chanted towards Enzo Maresca:
Thanks for the submission!
“You don’t know what you’re doing”
Chelsea assistant coach Willy Caballero was on the post-match duties and said about the chants (h/t Independent):
“Any supporter wants to have the best players on the pitch. We want to have that as well. But Cole is coming from a long injury. In this case we need to find a way to find the right substitutions to go for the game and also to look after the health of our players. We want to have them for the rest of the season.”
Palmer has missed over 15 games for Chelsea this season due to a groin injury. He hasn’t played a full 90 minutes in any games since returning earlier this month.
Willy Caballero explains Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca’s absence from post-match press conference
The Blues’ assistant coach Willy Caballero appeared in the post-match press conference instead of Enzo Maresca. He explained that the Italian coach has been ill for the last few days. While he was able to manage the game, he decided to sit out on the press conference, saying:
“He didn’t feel well the last two days. He was with a bit of temperature two days ago. He did the last two sessions, he wanted to prepare the team. But after the game he went to the changing room and asked me to replace him because he didn’t feel well.
“He’s dealing well, he’s very professional. He does a lot of hours every single day, even when the last two days feeling bad he was there. He loves to train and to coach. He’s an example for me and all of the staff.”
In the game, meanwhile, Chelsea had 67% possession. They made 19 attempts, with four being on target, as compared to Bournemouth’s 17 attempts, with seven being on target.
The Blues are fifth in the Premier League standings but could drop to sixth if Sunderland beat Manchester City on Thursday.
Edited by Aditya Singh
