Italy talent Palestra finally makes Chelsea debut

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 15: Marco Palestra of Chelsea reacts during the pre-season friendly match between Chelsea and Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge on August 15, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

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

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.

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.