
Cole Palmer changes Chelsea number as Liam Delap's new shirt confirmed after £30million transfer from Ipswich
COLE PALMER has switched to the No10 shirt at Chelsea - casting further doubt over Mykhailo Mudryk's future.
The winger has been provisionally suspended since December after failing a doping test while on international duty with Ukraine.
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Cole Palmer has taken the No10 shirt at Chelsea
Credit: Getty
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The number was previously held by the now-suspended Mykhailo Mudryk
Credit: Getty
Confirmation of Mudryk's B-sample results has still not been announced - with the £88.5million forward potentially facing a four-year ban.
However,
Asked about Mudryk being in Poland, Maresca said: 'He is here? I don't know. I am happy for Mischa to be here.'
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The former Shakhtar Donetsk player joined his team-mates at their
But just over a week after partying with teammates, Murdyk has been replaced as the Blues' No10 by star man Palmer.
Chelsea insist it is no reflection of his personal situation and that - ahead of the new season - he will be assigned a new number.
Mudryk wore the No15 shirt when he arrived at Stamford Bridge in January 2023 but was given the No10 after Christian Pulisic left the club that summer.
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Chelsea's announcement confirming the change did not mention
From embarrassing Chelsea pal to interview with dad - Five times Cole Palmer stole show AFTER Conference League finals
The club have also
Delap will look to
The shirt number has been vacant for two years with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Romelu Lukaku, Gonzalo Higuain, Alvaro Morata, Radamel Falcao and Fernando Torres all having struggled in West London while wearing No9.
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Liam Delap snatched the vacant No9 despite its 'curse'
Credit: Getty
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Palmer took the No20 when he arrived from Manchester City
Credit: Reuters

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The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Tottenham manager contenders compared after Postecoglou axe including boss who could pave way for England duo to join
TOTTENHAM are seeking a replacement for sacked boss Ange Postecoglou. Chairman Daniel Levy has axed Postecoglou despite the Aussie 9 Ange Postecoglou has been axed as Tottenham manager Credit: Alamy 9 Postecoglou, 59, lifted the Europa League trophy in Bilbao Credit: Getty The 59-year-old vowed that his work was not done after his side beat But following lengthy deliberations, With Tottenham having finished 17th in the Premier League table, the Spurs supremo will be desperate for a boss that can lift his side back towards the top four. And with the Lilywhites having qualified for the Champions League via the Europa route, Postecoglou's successor will have a tricky job on their hands juggling what will need to be an improved league campaign with European duties. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL SunSport assesses the pros and cons of the runners and riders in the race to replace axed Ange. THOMAS FRANK Pros: The The straight-talking Dane would be a common-sense appointment. An effective communicator with both players and the media, Frank should be well placed to navigate what could be an awkward start with a squad of players that were largely behind Postecoglou. Frank, 51, has used several different formations at Brentford and should be confident in improving Spurs' leaky defence, while he has a track record of getting his strikers scoring, with Most read in Football SunSport understand Frank is the strong favourite at Spurs. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 9 Thomas Frank has done an exceptional job at Brentford Credit: Getty Cons: Following the highs of Bilbao, Spurs fans and maybe even players may be quite underwhelmed by sacking the man that masterminded that success in order to hire a mid-table boss. For all of his positive traits, Frank has never won a major trophy, albeit having never managed a club realistically expected to challenge for them. Ange Postecoglou drops huge hint over Tottenham future with incredible mic-drop moment at Europa League parade Frank can at times deploy quite direct football, a style that has not gone down particularly well under the likes of MARCO SILVA Pros: The Portuguese gaffer has done a remarkable job at That sort of stability could be an attractive proposition to the Spurs board, who have overseen a chaotic six years since Mauricio Pochettino was sacked. Fulham performed well in London derbies last season, beating Cons: Silva's previous big move, from Watford to He is not known to be particularly charismatic, which could lead him to struggle in getting Spurs fans onside early on. Silva also hasn't won any trophies since lifting the Greek title in 2016, while he has never finished higher than eighth in the Premier League. 9 Marco Silva has led Fulham to mid-table stability Credit: Shutterstock Editorial MICHAEL CARRICK Pros: Having played for Spurs between 2004 and 2006, Carrick possesses an understanding of how the club runs and what their supporters appreciate. Carrick, 43, has therefore also worked with Levy, which could help him when dealing with the Spurs chairman. Following several years at Cons: Quite simply, Spurs fans will baulk at the idea of hiring a boss that has just been Carrick's first full-time gig as a manager has to be seen as a failure, having not been promoted with All three of his seasons at Boro faltered in the run-in - something Spurs fans and board members cannot accept. 9 Michael Carrick was sacked by Middlesbrough after missing out on the play-offs Credit: PA OLIVER GLASNER Pros: Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner knows what it takes to win trophies. The Austrian, 50, lifted the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022, before going on to win Palace's first ever major silverware in the FA Cup last season. With the Eagles' participation in Europe next term Cons: Palace chairman Steve Parish will not let go of his manager without a fight - having scrapped to keep Glasner following Tottenham have targeted Palace stars Eze and Guehi, but may be unlikely to get them immediately should the Eagles be stung from losing their manager to the North Londoners. It could force a waiting game for the England duo. Glasner's three-at-the-back formation is not too dissimilar to Antonio Conte's, which broke down following his first year at Tottenham - while key Spurs defenders 9 Oliver Glasner won the FA Cup with Crystal Palace Credit: Getty XAVI Pros: Former Spurs supporters have always appreciated a dash of flair, so having one of the world's greatest-ever midfielders as manager would likely appeal to many. Xavi, 45, showed that he can work under difficult circumstances by winning the LaLiga title in 2022-23, while he also demonstrated that he was versatile enough to deviate from Barca's traditional 4-3-3 system when required. Cons: Xavi has no experience of English football, having never played or managed in the Premier League. His job at Barca, while impressive, was not particularly similar to what the task would be at Spurs - more a of a rebuilding effort than title charge, at least initially. A disappointing run mid-way through the 2023-24 season saw Xavi dramatically claim that he would quit Barca at the end of the campaign - only for him to later perform a U-turn... before being sacked anyway. 9 Xavi coached Barcelona between 2021 and 2024 Credit: Reuters SCOTT PARKER Pros: Like Carrick, Parker has a deep understanding of Spurs having played for the club. The Parker, 44, has previously been assisted by coach Matt Wells, who has spent the last two seasons on Postecoglou's coaching staff. Cons: Tottenham fans would be extremely underwhelmed by the appointment of Parker. The former midfielder has had previous cracks at the Premier League with Fulham and Bournemouth - being sacked by both clubs. Parker's football has been quite dour on the eye at times, something Spurs fans would struggle to accept unless results were extremely good. 9 Scott Parker guided Burnley to promotion last season Credit: PA ANDONI IRAOLA Pros: Iraola's high-octane pressing football could excite the Spurs faithful next season. The Spaniard's rise across stints in LaLiga and the South Coast is reminiscent of Mauricio Pochettino's career prior to joining Tottenham. Iraola has shown an ability to improve his players, with the likes of Cons: Iraola's football takes time to implement and patience may be in short supply following Postecoglou's dismissal. The Cherries did not win any of Iraola's first nine Premier League games in charge at the start of the 2023-24 campaign. Postecoglou was criticised for the amount of injuries suffered by his players, potentially down to his style of football - with similar accusations having been levelled at Iraola. 9 Andoni Iraola has impressed in two seasons at Bournemouth Credit: Shutterstock Editorial


Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Ange Postecoglou sacked by Tottenham despite Europa League glory
Postecoglou delivered on his promise of 'always' winning in his second season thanks to the 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Bilbao on May 21. It etched head coach Postecoglou's name into the history books as only the third Spurs boss to taste European success and the first in 17 years to lift silverware – provoking an outpouring of affection from a previously split fanbase. While Postecoglou divided opinion across two years in England and attracted criticism during a torrid 17th-placed Premier League campaign, his San Mames triumph appeared enough to earn him year three. Postecoglou even delivered a mic-drop moment during a euphoric open-top bus parade in front of an estimated 220,000 people when he declared 'season three is better than season two', but chairman Daniel Levy had other ideas and appears to have dismissed the man to deliver him a much-craved trophy. Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been installed as the bookmakers' favourite to replace Postecoglou, who departs only 24 months into a long-term deal following a rollercoaster ride in his first Premier League role. A run of eight wins from his first 10 league fixtures – despite the high-profile departure of Harry Kane – propelled Spurs to the summit but a sign of things to come was a thrilling loss to Chelsea in November, 2023 where several injuries occurred. Fifth place in Postecoglou's debut campaign still represented an impressive finish but cracks started to emerge during a 2-0 loss at home to Manchester City where some Tottenham fans were conflicted given a positive result would have put rivals Arsenal in the driving seat for the title. Postecoglou later acknowledged that he misjudged the mood, but further run-ins would follow. A slow start to the 2024-25 campaign was followed by Postecoglou's second season trophy claim and a strong run of form as Spurs emphatically defeated Manchester United, Aston Villa and Manchester City. Guglielmo Vicario's fractured ankle in a 4-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium was quickly followed by serious setbacks for Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in a 4-3 home loss to Chelsea on December 8. ADVERTISEMENT Further injuries meant Postecoglou was regularly without 10 players throughout a jam-packed December and January where Tottenham lost eight of their 11 league fixtures. The Carabao Cup provided solace until a 4-0 loss at Liverpool in the last-four, which meant it was Europa League or bust for Postecoglou. A last-16 tie with AZ Alkmaar was navigated and, while Postecoglou aimed a cupped ear celebration at his own fans away to Chelsea in April, he managed to get a sinking ship back on track to knock out Eintracht Frankfurt before Bodo/Glimt were thrashed in the semi-finals after supporters' responded positively to the Australian's call-to-arms. It was then all eyes on San Mames, where Postecoglou's bold second season declaration came to fruition. Brennan Johnson's first-half goal proved the difference as Spurs clinched a narrative-busting 1-0 win but euphoric celebrations in Spain, at an open-top bus parade and during a carnival final-day atmosphere were played out against a backdrop of uncertainty over the future of Postecoglou.


Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Tottenham Hotspur sack head coach Ange Postecoglou
Ange Postecoglou has reportedly been sacked by Tottenham despite leading the club to Europa League glory. Postecoglou delivered on his promise of "always" winning in his second season thanks to the 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Bilbao on May 21. It etched head coach Postecoglou's name into the history books as only the third Spurs boss to taste European success and the first in 17 years to lift silverware - provoking an outpouring of affection from a previously split fanbase. While Postecoglou divided opinion across two years in England and attracted criticism during a torrid 17th-placed Premier League campaign, his San Mames triumph appeared enough to earn him year three. Postecoglou even delivered a mic-drop moment during a euphoric open-top bus parade in front of an estimated 220,000 people when he declared "season three is better than season two", but chairman Daniel Levy had other ideas and appears to have dismissed the man to deliver him a much-craved trophy. Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been installed as the bookmakers' favourite to replace Postecoglou, who departs only 24 months into a long-term deal following a rollercoaster ride in his first Premier League role. A run of eight wins from his first 10 league fixtures - despite the high-profile departure of Harry Kane - propelled Spurs to the summit but a sign of things to come was a thrilling loss to Chelsea in November, 2023 where several injuries occurred. Fifth place in Postecoglou's debut campaign still represented an impressive finish but cracks started to emerge during a 2-0 loss at home to Manchester City where some Tottenham fans were conflicted given a positive result would have put rivals Arsenal in the driving seat for the title. Postecoglou later acknowledged that he misjudged the mood, but further run-ins would follow. A slow start to the 2024-25 campaign was followed by Postecoglou's second season trophy claim and a strong run of form as Spurs emphatically defeated Manchester United, Aston Villa and Manchester City. Guglielmo Vicario's fractured ankle in a 4-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium was quickly followed by serious setbacks for Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in a 4-3 home loss to Chelsea on December 8. Further injuries meant Postecoglou was regularly without 10 players throughout a jam-packed December and January where Tottenham lost eight of their 11 league fixtures. The Carabao Cup provided solace until a 4-0 loss at Liverpool in the last-four, which meant it was Europa League or bust for Postecoglou. A last-16 tie with AZ Alkmaar was navigated and, while Postecoglou aimed a cupped ear celebration at his own fans away to Chelsea in April, he managed to get a sinking ship back on track to knock out Eintracht Frankfurt before Bodo/Glimt were thrashed in the semi-finals after supporters' responded positively to the Australian's call-to-arms. It was then all eyes on San Mames, where Postecoglou's bold second season declaration came to fruition. Brennan Johnson's first-half goal proved the difference as Spurs clinched a narrative-busting 1-0 win but euphoric celebrations in Spain, at an open-top bus parade and during a carnival final-day atmosphere were played out against a backdrop of uncertainty over the future of Postecoglou.