Tuchel leaves Palmer out of England squad as midfield competition intensifies
Cole Palmer has been omitted from Thomas Tuchel's England squad, with the head coach saying the Chelsea playmaker misses too many chances to impress and that others are now ahead of him.
Cole Palmer has been left out of England's latest squad by head coach Thomas Tuchel, a decision the German explained bluntly by saying the Chelsea playmaker misses too many opportunities to impress. Tuchel made the call after receiving assurances that Palmer was fully fit and available for the upcoming Nations League games against Croatia at home and Spain in Madrid, according to the article. Palmer's camp is said to be surprised by the omission.
Tuchel framed the exclusion as a matter of competition rather than personal judgment. He said England has enough number 10s and that he is sticking with the players from the previous camp because their two-and-a-half weeks together were excellent. He stressed the decision was not personal and that Palmer remains in his thinking, while adding that the competition is on.
The article traces a stop-start England career for Palmer since his debut under predecessor Gareth Southgate in November 2023. He has 14 caps, two goals and one assist, and his last appearance came in a 1-0 defeat by Japan at Wembley in March, when he was substituted before the hour. More tellingly, he has featured in only three of Tuchel's 26 games in charge.
Palmer had previously been regarded as part of England's future after scoring in the Euro 2024 final loss to Spain. Yet Tuchel has selected others ahead of him in the position he would occupy, including Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Morgan Gibbs-White, Eberechi Eze and first-time call-up Josh King. Jobe Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund was also a surprise inclusion.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said England checked on Palmer's fitness and that the club passes on reasonable information when a player is not fully fit. He said he has not discussed the England exclusion with Palmer, has no doubts about his character and is happy with his quality and attitude. Palmer has started the season well for Chelsea, with his penalty against Manchester United his 50th league goal for the club.
The article notes Tuchel has a record of hard-nosed calls, including excluding Jude Bellingham from a squad in October 2025 and leaving Trent Alexander-Arnold out of the World Cup squad. Palmer now faces an anxious wait, with England's next squad not due to be named until March 2027. Supporters' views are not included in the source.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
