Liam Rosenior has admitted there was “no way” Cole Palmer could have started for Chelsea against Napoli.
Chelsea secured automatic progression to the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday night with a 3-2 win in Naples.
Palmer started as a substitute having missed both of Chelsea’s last two games against Pafos and Crystal Palace with a small thigh strain.
But he came off the bench to assist both of Joao Pedro’s sensational second-half goals as the Blues turned the game on its head and avoided the play-off round.
Rosenior was asked whether Palmer coming on at half-time was fitness-related or pre-planned.
“I think it's a combination of both,” he said. “There's no way Cole could have started this game and played 60 or 70 minutes.
“I thought later in the game we would be stronger. I thought Cole was magnificent.”
Rosenior added: “We need to look after him. The way he's managed himself in the last two weeks has been magnificent.”
It has been an injury-disrupted season for Palmer, who was played a full 90 minutes on only four occasions.
“He's a world-class player,” Rosenior added. “There's been a lot of talk about Cole - he was a very, very happy man in the changing room after the game.”
