"For sure he is on my mind" – Mauricio Pochettino confirms 21-year-old star could make first Premier League start for Chelsea in Fulham game

Mauricio Pochettino has stated that Cole Palmer could be handed his first Premier League start for Chelsea in their encounter against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday (October 2).

The Blues roped in Palmer in a potential £45 million transfer from Manchester City on the summer deadline day. They secured the player's signature on a seven-year contract, reportedly worth £75,000-per-week.

So far this season, Palmer has made four appearances across all competitions for the Stamford Bridge outfit. He has featured in three Premier League matches as a substitute and started their 1-0 EFL Cup win against Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this Wednesday.

During a pre-match press conference, Pochettino was asked if Palmer would make his first Premier League start for his new club. He replied:

"Yes, maybe, yes. I'm so happy with his performance. After only a few weeks with us he was able to perform very well and fit in the team. For sure he is on my mind [for Monday]."

Palmer, 21, would hope to continue his form after coming up with a decisive assist in the Blues' recent victory against Brighton. He laid out an incisive pass to Nicolas Jackson in the 51st minute of the contest.

A left-footed versatile operator, Palmer could feature either on the right flank or in a number 10 role behind the striker in Chelsea's game against Fulham. He would be keen to make the most of his opportunity.

Before his transfer to west London, the Englishman helped Manchester City lift six trophies. He scored six goals and registered two assists in 41 appearances across competitions for the Etihad Stadium outfit.

Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino says he has plans to deal with forward's suspension

When asked to opine on his plans to tackle Nicolas Jackson's suspension against Fulham, Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino responded:

"We have a few options with a striker and without a striker. We need to assess the whole squad after the game. Things appear after 48 hours and we need to see how they are and how they recover."

Queried about potential business next January, Pochettino responded:

"The relationship and the communication is very good with the sporting directors. When the transfer window closed, I said I need to be more involved now. Things can change until January. Now we need to try to recover Christopher Nkunku and Armando Broja."

Chelsea dished out close to £100 million to sign Jackson, Christopher Nkunku and Deivid Washington to their offensive ranks earlier this summer. They have failed to be productive in their first six Premier League matches this campaign, scoring just five goals so far.

Due to their woes in and around the penalty box of late, Chelsea have been linked with Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Brentford's Ivan Toney.