Pep Guardiola has said he knew Cole Palmer was “a star player” but could not promise the striker enough playing time at Manchester City before his move to Chelsea.
Palmer left City in a £42.5 million ($53.5 million) deal last summer and has since become a key member of Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea team, scoring 10 Premier League goals in 20 appearances.
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The 21-year-old, who made his England debut in November, returns to the Etihad for the first time on Saturday.
Before the match, Guardiola said he always knew he was destined for the top.
Asked if he knew Palmer would be a success at Chelsea, Guardiola told a press conference on Friday: “If he plays regularly, yes. I had no doubt about his quality.
“The way he plays is that of a star player. He wanted minutes, it was a matter of time to demonstrate his immense quality.”
– Olley: Palmer wants to show Manchester City what they lost
Guardiola has confirmed that Jack Grealish will miss the Chelsea game due to the groin injury he suffered in the 3-1 victory over Copenhagen in the Champions League. Bernardo Silva, who also limped out of Parken Stadium on Tuesday, is a doubt but is expected to train on Friday.
“All I know is that he [Grealish] He will not be available tomorrow,” Guardiola said. “Bernardo, we will evaluate him in training today. Matthew [Kovacic] Go back to training, Sergio [Gomez] also… the rest we'll see.”
City face Chelsea on the back of a run of 11 consecutive wins in all competitions, while Chelsea have won their last two against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace after heavy back-to-back defeats to Liverpool and Wolves.
Pochettino has struggled for consistency at Chelsea, with the team languishing in 10th place in the table, but Guardiola expects a difficult night on Saturday.
“They are an exceptional team,” he said. “One of the most difficult games we have before the end of the season. In the last games they played very well. They have everything. They are a really good team, it is a difficult team.”
