Patrice Evra said he would not be surprised to see Cole Palmer "shine again" under Xabi Alonso after Chelsea confirmed Alonso's appointment earlier this month and the Spaniard signed a four-year deal at Stamford Bridge and will officially begin work on July 1.
Evra went on to place Palmer's difficult season squarely against his injury record, saying: "People forget Palmer has dealt with injuries several times" and warning that recovery after knocks can take time. Palmer missed virtually the entire first half of the season with a groin injury, returned in December and struggled to make an impact before finishing the campaign with ten league goals as Chelsea slipped to tenth and missed out on European football.
Those numbers matter because they frame what Chelsea now face. Evra, who pointed out he has "played more than 900 professional games" and that even then "maybe five or six games" were ones in which he felt 100 percent fit, told listeners that sometimes players need "one or two years to fully return to their best level." He added: "But knowing Xabi Alonso and the fact he accepted the Chelsea job, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Palmer shine again."
The summer carries competing narratives. TribalFootball has reported that Cole Palmer is being linked with a move to Manchester United and that he may be thinking of leaving for European football ahead of the summer transfer window. At the same time, Chelsea will head into a pre-season with Alonso in place and, crucially, no European fixtures to force rotation — a setup that, in theory, gives players like Palmer a clearer, uninterrupted preparation.
Evra did not shrink from the hard choices facing the winger. "Let’s not forget, Palmer has been injured a lot. Palmer doesn't need any manager to get him back to his best. Injuries are not easy to recover from," he said. He even suggested Palmer might be better off skipping major short-term opportunities: "As a Frenchman, I would be happy if Cole Palmer doesn't go to the World Cup. England will be less dangerous." Evra expanded on that view, saying: "For Palmer and his family, of course, it's beautiful. They go to the World Cup. But if you really need to do that surgery and go back to his best, yeah, it will be better for him to stay home." The winger was left out of England's World Cup squad by Thomas Tuchel.
There is a clear tension in the season's closing picture. Chelsea's poor league finish and Palmer's injury-hit form make him both an asset and a risk in the transfer market; TribalFootball's links to Manchester United and reports that Palmer may seek European football clash with Evra's counsel to prioritise recovery and a measured comeback under a new manager. Another contradiction sits in public detail about Alonso's start date: Chelsea say Alonso officially begins on July 1, while TribalFootball published a report putting that start on July 1, 2026.
For Chelsea the calculus is blunt: this is a critical summer because the club cannot afford recruitment mistakes, and a full pre-season with Alonso and no continental commitments presents one of the clearest single chances to reset. Evra's view is simple and decisive — players need time after recurring injuries, and Alonso's arrival makes a comeback credible: "Sometimes, some players get injured and they get one or two years to get back to their level. But knowing Alonso and him accepting the job, I wouldn't be surprised if Palmer is shining again at Chelsea."
The practical conclusion is straightforward. Given Palmer's injury record, his late-season form, the absence of European football and Alonso's arrival on a four-year contract, the most sensible outcome for Palmer's career and for Chelsea's fragile rebuild is to stay, complete the medical steps he needs and take the full pre-season under Alonso rather than rush a World Cup appearance or a transfer that could interrupt recovery.
