Palmer has not found the net in his last six appearances, and his most recent assist came 13 matches ago.
This decline in his form is a significant contributor to Chelsea's recent struggles, as the team has fallen from second to seventh in the Premier League, managing only two victories in their last ten matches and being knocked out of the FA Cup.
Since transferring from Manchester City in September 2023, Palmer has been a standout player, netting 22 league goals last season—second only to Erling Haaland of City—and scoring 14 this season.
During the 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday, Palmer appeared visibly frustrated with his teammates.
“I’m not concerned,” Maresca said. “I’m always concerned about general performances, but I’m not concerned about Cole because he is a human being. During the season, he can have some moments where he is struggling a little bit more.
“The problem with Cole is probably that we rely on him for everything. I said since we started that we need to rely on the team. For sure we need big players, top players like Cole but we are not worried about him at all.”
Following three consecutive losses, Chelsea has a promising opportunity to return to winning form on Tuesday when they host last-place Southampton at Stamford Bridge. A victory could propel Chelsea back into contention for a Champions League spot, with the Premier League expected to offer five places for next season's tournament.
“In this moment, his performances reflect a bit the team’s performances, that we struggle to score goals,” Maresca said of Palmer. “We need to be a little bit more clinical when we get the chances.
“Cole is just upset because we are not winning games, no more than that.”