Rosenior Rejects Talk of Palmer's Chelsea Departure, Labels Him 'Untouchable'

Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior brushed off suggestions that Cole Palmer might depart the club as "unrealistic", even with rumours connecting the England forward to a potential transfer to Manchester United.

Born in Manchester, Palmer moved to Chelsea from Manchester City back in 2023 and quickly became a key figure for the team over his initial two years in the capital.

Recent stories suggest the 23 year old might fancy heading back north to join the team he rooted for during his childhood.

This term, Palmer's contributions have been hampered by ongoing injuries, managing just five goals and zero assists across 13 outings in various competitions.

Before Chelsea's Champions League away fixture against Napoli on Wednesday, when questioned if Palmer is still "untouchable" and content at the side, Rosenior stated: "Yes and yes. Straightforward.

"The timing does not surprise me. A fresh coach arrives and suddenly folks start trying to stir things up. It is not accurate. Cole is staying put, he is content, and I am eager to watch him play.

"No need for any guarantees. It is utterly unrealistic. This has appeared out of thin air, there is no substance to it. No point discussing it, that is my stance."

Palmer has made the Chelsea travelling party to Italy, having sat out the previous two games due to a persistent groin issue.

The Premier League outfit occupies eighth position in the Champions League standings and will probably require a victory in Naples to clinch a direct spot in the knockout stage through a top eight placing.

They encounter a known adversary in Napoli's Antonio Conte, the last individual to guide Chelsea to the Premier League title during the 2016/17 campaign.

However, the Serie A title holders from Napoli are struggling to stay in contention for the top 24 and thus evade the drop, having secured only two wins from their first seven encounters.

"The outcomes have not matched the displays from Antonio's squad," noted Rosenior, who has triumphed in four out of his opening five games since taking over from Enzo Maresca.

"We realise it will prove a tough challenge amid an electric crowd."