Days after missing West Ham clash due to injury, Chelsea ace Cole Palmer surprises fans with his disguise as he shows up for Notting Hill carnival

Chelsea superstar Cole Palmer has surprised fans by arriving for the Notting Hill Carnival in disguise. The Englishman missed the Blues' 5-1 win against West Ham United last Saturday after picking up an issue during warm-up.

Enzo Maresca later revealed that Palmer had not been fully fit in the buildup to the game.

“Cole, in the last four or five days, was not 100 per cent. He tried to warm up but he felt something again. Probably against Palace he was not fully fit but he has been trying to make a big effort for the club, for the team and for the fans,” said Maresca.

Amid concerns about his fitness, Palmer made an appearance at the Notting Hill Carnival on Monday, donning a hat with artificial deadlocks, along with a face mask and sunglasses. He shared a picture on social media with the caption:

"Blendinggg."

Many supporters, however, quickly spotted Palmer in the crowd. The Englishman joined Chelsea from Manchester City in the summer of 2023 and has since become the club's talisman.

Last season, the 23-year-old registered 18 goals and 14 assists from 52 games for the Blues. Enzo Maresca's side, though, didn't miss Cole over the weekend as they made light work of the Hammers. However, fans will be hoping that the Englishman can get back to his best soon, as he remains crucial to Chelsea's plans.

Will Axel Disasi leave Chelsea this summer?

Bournemouth are in talks with Chelsea to chalk out a deal for Axel Disasi this summer, according to acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano. The French defender arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2023 and enjoyed a rock-solid debut campaign.

However, Disasi dropped down the pecking order after Ensor Maresca took charge of the Blues last year. The 27-year-old left the London giants in January to join Aston Villa on loan, but hardly had an impact at Villa Park.

Now back at Chelsea, Disasi is staring at an uncertain future as he is no longer part of the club's plans. Bournemouth are now offering him an escape route from Stamford Bridge.

The Cherries are looking for a new defender following the departures of Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi, and have identified Disasi as their priority target. The two clubs are locked in talks regarding a move this summer, and negotiations are reportedly at an advanced stage. The Blues remain keen to offload the Frenchman this year.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9500 articles for the website, and has garnered close to 21 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

Know More

Edited by Deepungsu Pandit