Cole Palmer takes new Chelsea shirt number as forgotten misfit brutally dumped
Cole Palmer has been handed the number 10 shirt by Chelsea, with Mykhailo Mudryk giving up the number while he remains provisionally suspended from football by the FA
Chelsea have announced that Cole Palmer will now wear the number 10 shirt, with the change coming into effect ahead of the Club World Cup. Palmer has worn the number 20 since joining the Blues from Manchester City in 2023.
However, he has now switched and takes the number 10 shirt from Mykhailo Mudryk, who has not played a game since November are being provisionally suspended from football by the FA after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium.
Mudryk's career remains in limbo as he awaits the results of a B sample, but the winger did join up with Chelsea to for the UEFA Conference League final where they beat Real Betis 4-1 thanks to goals from Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo.
The switch means that Palmer is now wearing a number that is synonymous with one of his idols. Eden Hazard was Chelsea's number 10 for six seasons and Palmer recently put the Belgian on his Mount Rushmore of Premier League players alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
Palmer has now been reunited at Chelsea with Liam Delap after the striker completed a £30million move to Stamford Bridge from Ipswich. The pair came through City's academy together and Delap has been handed the number nine shirt.
"Cole is incredible in everything he does," Delap told club media. "I can't wait to be in front of him again and receive his passes! I spent a lot of time with them both [Palmer and Romeo Lavia] at City.
"We grew up and played some incredible football together. I spoke to them about joining and I am excited to play alongside them again. I also know Levi [Colwill] a bit as we faced each other hundreds of times when we were growing up.
"It's always nice to know people [when you join a new club], and I've spoken to a few of them and asked them for advice. They've told me how great a place it is and I'm really excited to come and play alongside them."
Delap also worked with Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca during his time at City, with the Italian spending one season in charge of their Elite Development Squad. "He is an incredible coach and helped us all develop so much," Delap added.
"What we did that season was record-breaking, and what he's gone on to achieve - and what the players in that age group have achieved - is incredible. He has a great understanding of the game.
"He was very detailed in how he approached things with us and while it can be hard at that age to take on so much information, he brought it across in a way we understood and could put into our games. I think it's proved in the years since how much it has helped."
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