Italy talent Palestra finally makes Chelsea debut

Italy talent Palestra finally makes Chelsea debut Italy international Marco Palestra finally made his Premier League debut for Chelsea today and showed his versatility, as in just 20 minutes he played two different roles. The 21-year-old was a big summer investment from Atalanta at over €60m and had impressed in pre-season, but an injury ruled him out for the first few months of the campaign. Palestra gets Chelsea chance SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 01: Marco Palestra of Chelsea looks on during the Sydney Super Cup match between Chelsea FC and Tottenham at Accor Stadium on August 01, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images) He was finally given his opportunity during today’s 5-1 victory over Bournemouth , though all the goals had already been scored when he was introduced in place of Joao Pedro at the 72 nd minute. Palestra has been praised for his versatility, and he certainly showed that on his Chelsea debut, playing on both the right and the left wing, despite being on the pitch for just 20 minutes including added time. SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JULY 28: Marco Palestra of Chelsea FC heads the ball during the Sydney Super Cup match between Western Sydney Wanderers and Chelsea FC at Accor Stadium on July 28, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images) Xabi Alonso is yet to decide where to best deploy the Italian talent, who can be a full-back, a wing-back, or even part of a trident attack. He somewhat understandably looked rusty today, as it was his first game since early August due to a muscular issue that took longer than expected to shake off.