Marco Palestra Returns to Chelsea Training Ahead of Premier League Debut

Marco Palestra is finally back on the grass at Cobham. Chelsea’s €60m summer signing resumed full training today and could make his long-awaited debut this weekend – but the timing may come at a cost to his international ambitions.

The wing-back, signed from Atalanta after a spell at Cagliari, lit up pre-season with a string of sharp, aggressive displays that quickly justified Chelsea’s heavy investment. He looked ready to hit the ground running in the Premier League.

Then came the setback.

Palestra picked up a knock in Chelsea’s final friendly and disappeared from the matchday picture before the competitive action even started. Since then, he has not played a single minute in an official game for the Blues.

Details of the injury have been kept tightly under wraps. Club sources have not clarified the extent of the problem, nor even which part of his leg was affected, leaving only the evidence of his absence to tell the story.

Today brought the first real sign of a turning point. Palestra was back in training for the first time in several weeks and is now in contention for Chelsea’s Premier League fixture at the weekend. Expectations, though, are being kept in check. At best, he is thought likely to feature as a second-half substitute as the club manage his return carefully.

That slow reintroduction could have a knock-on effect with Italy.

Roberto Mancini is preparing his squad for the upcoming Nations League games, and Palestra’s lack of competitive action this season puts his place firmly in doubt. Match rhythm matters at this level, and right now the 21-year-old has none.

It is a harsh twist for a player only just breaking into the Azzurri setup. Palestra made his senior Italy debut in March 2026 and has collected two caps so far, hinting at a long international future.

Chelsea may finally be about to see their new signing in a blue shirt. Whether Italy get to see him again this month is a very different question.