Joe Cole names two Chelsea stars who could win Ballon d’Or

It is fair to say that Joe Cole has very high hopes for two Chelsea stars, who will be feeling much better after Saturday’s win against Manchester United.

Last weekend, Chelsea were beaten 2-0 by their London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, while they were eliminated from the Carabao Cup during the week after losing to Liverpool on penalties. However, the Blues were able to bounce back with a 2-0 victory over United.

Morgan Rogers starred for Chelsea against United after scoring a fantastic goal at Stamford Bridge. Cole Palmer, Estevao Willian and Romeo Lavia also put in good performances to help their side claim all three points and climb to fourth in the Premier League table.

Cole now thinks two of that quartet could be in contention for the Ballon d’Or award in the future.

Cole was asked to name the next English Ballon d’Or winner after Harry Kane and went with Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham. However, he also went on to name Palmer and Rogers.

Speaking on TNT Sports, the Chelsea legend said: “Cole Palmer could do it. We’ve got so much talent. Look at the players… Morgan Rogers, the way he has started.

“These players can step up. Harry Kane has opened the door for all of them to say, ‘If Harry Kane can do it…’ You don’t have to be Lamine Yamal at 16/17, the brightest young player in world football.”

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Daniel Sturridge has also been discussing Rogers following his impact against United, urging the attacking midfielder to shoot more despite his excellent form in front of goal right now.

In nine Premier League appearances, Rogers has scored five goals. He has also netted once in the Carabao Cup.

The ceiling is high for both Palmer and Rogers, but they still feel very far away from a Ballon d’Or win for now. An in-form Palmer can probably match any attacker in the world. In his first season at Chelsea, he was an absolute output machine.

In 45 appearances, Palmer scored 25 goals and provided 15 assists. Forty goal contributions should make an individual worthy of Ballon d’Or contention, but Palmer has not been consistent enough since and his output has dramatically dipped.

Last term, the Englishman only recorded 14 goal contributions in 34 outings. He had injury problems and played fewer games but that is still some drop-off. You also have to question his big-game record.

Before Saturday’s win over United, Palmer had a record of 10 goals and two assists in 26 matches against the Premier League’s big six. That is another thing holding him back right now.

As for Rogers, he needs to be tested at the truly elite level, which should happen now that he is at Chelsea. Can the former Aston Villa man consistently defeat a low block? Can he make the difference for the Blues on a Champions League night if they can make a return to Europe’s elite competition?

Rogers’ game is built on pace, power and athleticism. Can the England star mix things up when necessary and not be one dimensional? With both Rogers and Palmer, some questions still need to be answered before they are put in Ballon d’Or conversations.