Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca explained why Cole Palmer did not play in the 5–1 win over West Ham at the London Stadium. Palmer was left out because he wasn’t fully fit in the days before the match.

The Blues recorded their first Premier League victory of the season, but they did it without their key attacker in the starting line-up. Teenager Estevão Willian started in Palmer’s place and got the nod from the coach.

Maresca said Palmer had felt something in his groin during the last few days. The player tried to join the match in the warm-up, but he felt the problem again, so the staff decided not to risk him.

“Over the last four or five days he wasn’t 100 per cent,” Maresca said. He added that Palmer tried in the warm-up but felt the issue, so the club chose to be cautious and leave him out.

Chelsea fell behind early when Lucas Paquetá scored a stunning goal for West Ham. But Chelsea came back strongly and scored five goals to turn the game around.

Goals from João Pedro, Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernández, Moisés Caicedo and Trevoh Chalobah sealed a big win for Chelsea and earned them three points. The team response underlined depth and character even without Palmer.

Maresca also said the club will check Palmer in the hours after the match to see whether the groin problem is serious. For now he’s being monitored and the staff will decide the next steps based on the scans and how he feels.