Will Cole Palmer 'go down the same route' as Marcus Rashford & Jadon Sancho? Chelsea star backed to avoid slump similar to Man Utd flops

The attacking midfielder rocketed to Premier League stardom after joining Chelsea from Manchester City, but he has endured a bit of a slump in recent months, last scoring in a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth on January 14 and managing a single assist since then.

The England international's recent decline brings the struggles of Rashford and Sancho to Frank Leboeuf's mind, as the once highly-rated pair were dropped by the Red Devils and loaned out to Aston Villa and Chelsea, respectively. The Chelsea legend is sure that the 22-year-old will avoid such a fate, though, insisting he just needs to get his confidence back.

"Palmer’s performances translated to the rest of the Chelsea team. When his form dipped, so did the team’s, which says a lot about how good he was at the start of the season," Leboeuf told BetVictor.

"He was one of the best players in the world, but then he lost his confidence. We’ve seen it happen to other talented players in the Premier League. Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho have struggled with their confidence at Manchester United and they’ve dipped a bit, at the same time as their club. I can’t see Palmer going down the same route as those two though. I believe he’ll be back to his best. I don’t think we should be too harsh on him; he’s carried Chelsea on his shoulders for the best part of this season and he’s still very young. He needs help from the rest of his teammates, he can’t do it all on his own. He’ll be one of the main starters for England and Chelsea next season, I’m sure."

Palmer has scored 14 goals and registered seven assists in the Premier League this season and will aim to find the net again when they face struggling Ipswich on Sunday.