Palmer was pictured getting off the plane in Atlanta with a mask. Why was he wearing it? Was he ill? Was he protecting himself from a possible Covid outbreak? Blues boss Enzo Maresca thought he may have even been doing it as a joke. Finally, Palmer told the world on Thursday, and the answer was classic Cole.
“It wasn’t a joke: I just don’t like the smelly planes,” said Palmer. “That’s why I wear a mask. When I travel, I don’t like the smells so that’s why I wear them. It’s stuff like that, nothing else. [Maresca] doesn’t know: I didn’t tell him, but he didn’t ask me to be fair.”
And so there you have it. Palmer will be grateful, therefore, that Chelsea’s final two Group D games are in Philadelphia without the need for additional travel. Lord help him, however, when the knockout rounds begin: if Chelsea win Group D, their tournament path would run through Miami and Atlanta en route to East Rutherford; if they finish second, they’d face a round of 16 game in Charlotte before heading north once more. — James Olley
Star player of the day
To be named later
Pick to follow … — Roberto Rojas
Match previews, odds for Friday
Benfica vs. Auckland City FC (Group C; East Rutherford, NJ, Noon ET)
Odds (via ESPN BET): Benfica (N/A), Draw (+3800), Auckland City FC (+10000)
Preview to follow…
Flamengo vs. Chelsea (Group D; Philadelphia, Penn., 3 p.m. ET)
Odds: Flamengo (+280), Draw (+250), Chelsea (-110)
The top two sides in Group D face off in Philadelphia for a match that will, in all likelihood, decide who finishes in top spot. Flamengo and Chelsea meet in a competitive game for the first time — their previous meeting in a friendly was 27 years ago — but there are more recent links between the clubs.
Flamengo are managed by Filipe Luis, who made 26 appearances for Chelsea in 2014-15, while Jorginho signed for the Brazilian club this summer after leaving Stamford Bridge for Arsenal in 2023. Chelsea beat LAFC in a sparsely-populated stadium in Atlanta, but more than 50,000 fans are expected in Philly this time. — Olley
LAFC vs. Esperance de Tunis (Group D; Nashville, Tenn., 6 p.m. ET)
Odds: LAFC (-115), Draw (+240), Esperance de Tunis (+340)
Preview to follow…
Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors (Group C; Miami, Fla., 9 p.m. ET)
Odds: Bayern Munich (-550), Draw (+550), Boca Juniors (+950)
Preview to follow…
