I was close with Cole Palmer and sad he joined Chelsea but I have a plan for his Man City return

John Stones has heaped praise on Cole Palmer ahead of Chelsea's clash with Manchester City. Palmer, 21, will return to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday for the first time since leaving his boyhood club to join the Blues on deadline day in the summer.

After missing out on Michael Olise, the Chelsea co-sporting directors took a risk and, without consulting Mauricio Pochettino, they raced to sign Palmer from the Premier League champions. Despite leaving his hometown at such short notice, the England international hit the ground running in west London and he's proven to be an excellent acquisition.

Palmer, who sees his contract at Stamford Bridge expire in 2030, has featured 21 times in the Premier League this term, scoring 10 goals and providing six assists — including a 95th-minute penalty to earn Chelsea a 4-4 draw against City at Stamford Bridge in November. His impressive performances have caught the attention of his former City teammate, Stones, ahead of his return to Ashton New Road.

Speaking to the official club website, the City centre-back says that despite being saddened by Palmer's exit, he is happy to see the Chelsea ace doing so well: «Cole has been great in the games that I have seen and I am super happy for him.

»I was quite close with Cole and sad to see him leave us, but that is his own path and journey in his career. I am happy for him and if he is happy that is the main thing.

«He was a great player for us while he was here and he has hit the ground running whilst he has been at Chelsea. It will be fun to play against him if we are both selected tomorrow.

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»I am sure he has got a lot of fond