Cole Palmer thinks he's getting fouled more often this season as a result of his fine displays in a Blue shirt.
He's right.
The Englishman, who since moving to Chelsea from Manchester City has scored 33 goals and provided 20 assists in all competitions, was fouled 26 in 33 Premier League games last term.
By comparison, his (now former) Chelsea teammate Conor Gallagher was fouled 64 times, while Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes was fouled 108 times.
This term, however, Palmer has already drawn 15 fouls in just seven top flight games.
To combat the problem, the 22-year-old has a unique idea.
"I’m going to get double shin pads – one at the front and one at the back!" Palmer joked in an interview with Chelsea's official website posted earlier this week.
"They only do little kicks so it doesn’t hurt too much," he added. "I see it as a compliment."
Palmer and Chelsea next face up against Liverpool on Sunday at Anfield.
Chelsea have a poor record against Liverpool in recent years, having not beaten the Reds since way back in March 2021.
Palmer knows that if Chelsea are to change that, he and his teammates will have to be at their very best.
"They had a great team then and they’ve got a great team now, so it will be a difficult game if we’re not 100 per cent on it," he said.
"Everyone knows what their stadium is like, what their fans are like and what their team is like, but we will treat it like a normal game," he added.
Enzo Maresca will be without two key players for the trip to Merseyside. Both Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella are suspended having each picked up their fifth yellow cards of the season in the Blues' 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.
Tosin Adarabioyo and Renato Veiga are expected to play in their absence.
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