Palmer has established himself as one of the world's standout attacking players since arriving at Stamford Bridge in September 2023. He has netted more than 50 goals for the Blues, claimed several individual awards, and cemented his place in the England squad.

The 23-year-old also starred at last summer's FIFA Club World Cup; Palmer was named Player of the Tournament after scoring twice and assisting in the final as we overcame Paris Saint-Germain to be crowned world champions.

There have been new challenges for Palmer to contend with this season, though. Groin and foot injuries restricted his minutes during the first half of the campaign, and it has taken time for the Blues No.10 to get back to what he considers full fitness.

Yet Rosenior, who handed Palmer the captain's armband for last weekend's 7-0 victory over Port Vale in the FA Cup semi-final, believes there is now a 'brightness' to the England international's game, which he hopes will be maintained during the season run-in.

The Chelsea head coach explained: 'I’ve said many times before, Cole is a top player who’s gone through a really difficult period, in terms of injury, in terms of the amount of games that he’s had.

‘What I’m seeing in Cole now is a brightness, a freshness, and hopefully he can maintain that from now until the end of the season.’

Rosenior was speaking ahead of another big game for the Blues. We take on Manchester City on Sunday, hoping a victory will boost our chances of UEFA Champions League qualification.

City is a club that Palmer knows well – it's where he spent the formative years of his career before moving to Stamford Bridge. And Rosenior knows harnessing the talents of the England international is likely to be key in our quest to claim all three points at Stamford Bridge.

He explained: ‘You give him confidence [as a head coach], you point out the things he’s doing well, you point out the things that are still very positive in his game.

‘In terms of chance creation, and I’ve gone through the stats, the chances he’s created in difficult times were very high across the league. We just didn’t take the chances that he created. I showed him that.

‘You can over-analyse at times, but that’s not what I want Cole to do. Cole’s an intuitive player; he needs to be free to express himself to the best of his ability.

‘We have tried to manage Cole before this period. There were questions asked about why he was coming off [in matches] and why he wasn’t starting games. We wanted him fresh for this period and so far he looks really good for that.’

Rosenior was also quick to point out that, in addition to Palmer's undoubted talents, it is his commitment to the cause that makes him such a valuable member of this Chelsea team.

‘I have to give Cole so much credit because he’s put himself up to play for this club at times when other players maybe wouldn’t,' Rosenior said.

‘He’s fully invested in what we do in many ways and I’m really delighted just with him as a player, him as a character, what he stands for and what he wants to achieve here.

‘He’s going to be a huge part of things for me in the years to come.’