Cole Palmer believes everyone will see how good Christopher Nkunku is next season following an injury ravaged first campaign.
The pair both got on the scoresheet as the Blues beat Brighton 2-1 on Wednesday night to leapfrog Newcastle into sixth following their defeat to Manchester United.
Nkunku hasn’t been able to make the same impact as Palmer due to missing most of the season through injury but his performance last night was a glimpse into what fans can expect to see when he’s fully fit and firing.
Palmer praises Nkunku
Nkunku arrived from German club RB Leipzig last summer in a deal worth £52, with plenty of excitement surrounding him.
Following a positive start to pre season the France international picked up an injury during the final game against Borussia Dortmund and was ruled out for four months.
He returned to action and scored against Wolves and Liverpool but again picked up injuries which has caused him to miss most of 2024.
The 26-year-old is now fit and back in the squad and has come off the bench in Chelsea’s last three games, and took his goal well in an impressive performance against Brighton.
Blues fans finally got what they had been waiting for with Nkunku pulling out his trademark balloon celebration for the first time in his Chelsea career.
Palmer was full of praise for his team-mate and insisted everyone will see how good he really is next season.
“Everyone knows his quality, even from Leipzig, before he came here”, Palmer told Chelsea’s website.
“He’s been unlucky with injuries but if he can get firing and get fit you saw what he can do out there last night.
“So I think next season everyone will see how good he actually is.”
A fully fit Nkunku will make a huge difference next season and he does possess genuine quality, it’s just a case of keeping him fit, but supporters can expect to see that balloon come out many times in the future.
