Marco Palestra Returns to Training at Chelsea

Marco Palestra is finally back on the grass at Cobham. The Chelsea wing-back resumed full training today and is edging towards a long-awaited debut, but his delayed return could come at a cost for his Italy ambitions in the Nations League.

The 21-year-old arrived in London amid real excitement after his transfer from Atalanta and Cagliari, a deal worth around €60m including add-ons. He lit up pre-season, quickly looking like one of Chelsea’s sharpest performers and justifying the outlay before a competitive ball had even been kicked.

Then came the setback. A knock in the final friendly stopped his momentum cold. Since then, he has not played a single competitive minute for the Blues.

Now, at last, there is movement. Palestra was back in training today for the first time in several weeks. Chelsea staff are not expected to rush him. At best, he is being lined up for a second-half cameo in this weekend’s Premier League fixture, a controlled reintroduction rather than a full-blooded launch.

Details around the injury remain murky. The club have not clarified the extent of the problem, nor even which part of his leg was affected. For all the optimism of his return, that secrecy lingers in the background.

The timing complicates matters for Roberto Mancini. With Nations League fixtures looming, Palestra’s lack of game time is a serious issue. He has not played a minute of competitive football this season, and it is unclear whether that will be enough to convince the Italy coach to include him in the squad.

Palestra only broke into the senior Azzurri setup in March 2026, collecting two caps and hinting at a long international future. Now the question is simple: will a handful of training sessions and, perhaps, a brief Premier League cameo be enough to keep that trajectory on track?