Mauricio Pochettino has insisted that summer signing Cole Palmer is young and still needs to settle at Chelsea after the attacker produced a game-winning assist to Nicolas Jackson in the Carabao Cup clash against Brighton & Hove Albion.

The 21-year-old was acquired from Manchester City during the closing stage of the summer window for £42.5 million and has already received praise for his display. While still young, he is a talented individual capable of achieving much in his career.

However, the England U21 international has mostly served as a replacement. Palmer, on the other hand, started Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion and gave Pochettino every reason to believe he should start the next game.

Mauricio Pochettino believes Cole Palmer has not yet settled. (Image courtesy of Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images for Premier League)
The former Manchester City midfielder will be looking to make his Blues debut against Fulham on Monday. Pochettino responded in a post-match press conference when asked if he will start Palmer in their next game (h/t Football.London):

“I thought the team was really good, as did the rest of the team.” If we evaluate all of the players, I believe we are at a very high level. Cole is a gifted player who was instrumental in tonight’s triumph. Still young, he must integrate into the club—not just the team, but also the club and the city. I believe we saw today how

“I thought the team was really good, as did the rest of the team.” If we evaluate all of the players, I believe we are at a very high level. Cole is a gifted player who was instrumental in tonight’s triumph. Still young, he must integrate into the club—not just the team, but also the club and the city. “I believe we saw how good he is today.”

While the majority of Premier League teams rotate heavily in the League Cup, the same cannot be said for top-flight matches. Fulham are a tenacious side, and unless Palmer is prepared, he is unlikely to compete on the front foot.

Palmer was extraordinary against Brighton, and the connection with Nicolas Jackson shows that he is the one who can provide Jackson with opportunities to score goals. Given that Raheem Sterling hasn’t been playing at his best lately and Noni Madueke isn’t available, the Argentine boss will be prudent to give Palmer another chance to maintain his purple patch.

We have acquired a tremendous talent in Palmer, and his performances show that he has settled well into Pochettino’s system. Palmer, in addition to being a playmaker, has an eye for goal, which he hasn’t showed at Chelsea but will undoubtedly show once he starts each game.