Ahead of Sunday’s Premier League trip to Crystal Palace, Rosenior revealed that Palmer has been playing through the pain recently due to his determination to contribute as much as possible to the Chelsea cause.

That was the reason for our No10’s absence from the team for the midweek UEFA Champions League win over Pafos, as Rosenior focuses on getting the best out of Palmer over the course of the remainder of our campaign, following his injury problems earlier in the season.

'Cole is an outstanding player,’ said the Chelsea head coach. ‘Every player goes through difficult moments in their careers in terms of injury. I don't think it's any reflection on his qualities, he's an outstanding footballer.

‘But my job and the club's job is to get him in a place where he can consistently perform at the level that he wants to. There was frustration in the Brentford game, just because he couldn't perform. He was in pain, he couldn't perform to the level he wanted to do for the club.

'He's a great kid and he's an outstanding player, but we have to make sure that we look after him in the right way. That's why I didn't involve him in the last game.'

Rosenior went on to highlight why he believes Palmer performing at his highest level is such an asset for the Blues, and that frustration the 23-year-old felt is further evidence of his dedication.

‘Cole, fully fit and firing, I don't think I'd change him for any player in world football in his position,’ he continued.

‘So my job is to support him. Not just me – the staff, the medical team, the players – to make sure he does not feel frustrated.

‘The reason it's good he's frustrated is because he wants to do well for the club, but I don't want him to feel like he has to push himself to the point of pain when we're in January. That's crazy.

'So I want to look after him. I've had great conversations with him so far and I'll continue to look after him. I don't say "protect", it's not about protecting the players, but making sure they reach the levels that they're capable of.'

Of course, it is not just Palmer that Rosenior is eager to get performing at his best at every opportunity. He reiterated his faith that the whole squad has enough quality for him to rotate his side and keep players fresh.

'I want to look after the players, not just to be nice to them, I want them to perform at their very peak level,’ he added.

‘So not just in terms of Cole, there's a number of players in our group that we have to look after in a different way and not just force them out [on the pitch] to not perform.

'I've got trust in the group. I've rotated with the squad and I'll continue to do that, because I want us to be involved at the end of the season in big games and big competitions.

‘At the moment we're in January. I want to make sure all the players come through this period with wins, but in full health, and Cole's one of those players.'