Marco Palestra watches the Sydney Super Cup clash between Chelsea and Tottenham at Accor Stadium on Aug 1, 2026 (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
Marco Palestra may finally line up for his Premier League debut as Chelsea face AFC Bournemouth Saturday, with head coach Xabi Alonso confirming the Italy international has trained and is ready.
Alonso confirms Palestra ready for Premier League debut. Will he finally start on Saturday?
The Italian signed for Chelsea from Atalanta for €60m plus bonuses in the summer window, yet an unknown injury has kept him from debuting for the Blues.
The 21‑year‑old, who broke into Italy’s squad late in the 2025‑26 season, featured throughout pre‑season but suffered a setback in training, Alonso said, just as the 2026‑27 Premier League campaign began.
Since then he’s been forced to watch from the stands as Chelsea’s first five league games yielded two wins, a draw and two losses.
He also missed Italy’s September call‑up and now returns to a squad where Brentford’s Michael Kayode impressed in his debut camp, raising the competition.
Alonso’s encouraging words suggest the former Atalanta and Cagliari wing‑back remains in contention for Saturday’s Bournemouth match. For my money, his pace could finally give Chelsea the edge on the flank.
During his pre‑match press conference on Friday, Alonso fielded questions about Cole Palmer, Reece James and João Pedro.
He answered: “All have trained, some more than others. Marco Palestra too. That was the plan. They’re fit and ready to go.”