England manager Thomas Tuchel has questioned how determined Chelsea star Cole Palmer is to represent the Three Lions after the forward withdrew from the national team squad with an injury.
Palmer was recalled to England’s squad for the Nations League fixtures against Spain, Czech Republic and Croatia after missing the 2026 World Cup squad.
However, the 24-year-old pulled out of the latest camp because of a fitness problem, marking another absence since Tuchel became England manager...READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
Tuchel said Palmer had missed too many opportunities to impress him directly during England camps and admitted that his repeated unavailability was becoming an issue.
“It’s another missed opportunity. He misses too many opportunities,” Tuchel said.
The England boss added that Palmer had missed several camps because of injuries and stressed that players need to be present in camp to demonstrate what they can offer.
Asked whether Palmer appeared desperate enough to play for England, Tuchel did not reject the suggestion.
“It’s hard to argue against what you’re saying,” he said.
Tuchel subsequently pointed to the attacking options currently available to him, including Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze.
The England manager said the players in camp were available and eager to represent the country, highlighting Gibbs-White’s decision to cut short a holiday in Dubai to join the squad.
Palmer’s latest withdrawal comes after an encouraging start to the 2026/27 season with Chelsea. He had recorded six goal involvements in seven appearances before the international break.
Tuchel, however, insisted that Palmer’s absence was not related to workload management. According to the England manager, Chelsea had informed him that the forward was playing with discomfort and pain and could not perform at his highest level.
Palmer has made only three appearances for England under Tuchel and has experienced several injury-related absences from national team camps.
The Chelsea forward was also left out of England’s World Cup squad earlier this year after an injury-hit 2025/26 campaign.
Despite the growing attention surrounding his international availability, Palmer is not the only England player to withdraw from the current squad. Declan Rice, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Tino Livramento have also pulled out because of fitness issues.
England are preparing for their Nations League campaign, beginning with a home fixture against Spain before facing the Czech Republic and Croatia.
For Palmer, the latest absence means another opportunity to work directly with Tuchel and compete for a place in England’s attacking setup has been missed.
