Thomas Tuchel questions Cole Palmer’s England commitment after withdrawal ahead of Spain match
Thomas Tuchel warned Cole Palmer he has “missed way too many camps” after the Chelsea forward withdrew from England duty ahead of the Nations League match against Spain at Wembley on Saturday.
Tuchel said Palmer’s latest withdrawal, attributed to a minor muscular injury, was a missed opportunity and raised doubts about whether the 24-year-old wants to be part of the England squad. Palmer has 14 caps and was omitted from Tuchel’s World Cup squad after struggling with form and fitness last season. Tuchel also underlined his emphasis on team spirit and availability, noting he has rarely had the chance to work with Palmer.
Asked whether Palmer did not seem desperate to play for England, Tuchel did not take a diplomatic line. “Hard to argue against what you’re saying,” Tuchel said. “He misses too many camps. That’s the overall headline. We have a lot of invitations and he couldn’t make this one. It is what it is. I am not ready to focus on players who are not here. The players that are here have my full attention. It is a missed opportunity. He [Palmer] misses too many opportunities. I don’t blame him for it. It is just a fact. He misses way too many camps with injuries, and I only want to rely on what I witness within my team, and for that you have to be in camp.”
Tuchel rejected the idea of bringing Palmer into camp to build connections because of the impact on his medical staff. “To bring someone and take away capacity from our physios, it’s not helpful,” he said. He also set out the players now available to him: “It leaves us with Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze. All in camp. All desperate to be here. All available. And all ready to go, ready to stop a holiday after one day in Dubai.” Morgan Gibbs-White was called up as Palmer’s replacement from a holiday in Dubai.
Palmer has featured in all of Chelsea’s Premier League games this season, but he was not the only player to withdraw from the England squad. Tuchel said he had no issue with Tino Livramento’s absence — the right-back missed Newcastle’s win over Hull last weekend — and dismissed wider concern over the withdrawals of Manchester United duo Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford.
Tuchel addressed Declan Rice’s unavailability directly and explained his decision to give the Arsenal midfielder a pass. “Every case is individual and if Declan calls me and explains to me and I actually see him play v Brighton, I see straight away on TV that something is off,” Tuchel said. “He just confirmed that impression. Every case is different and I knew from Marcus, I knew from Kobbie that they play with discomfort.”
Morgan Rogers spoke about the lingering effect of England’s World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina and the need for other forwards to chip in. “We’re definitely good enough to do it,” the Chelsea attacker said, before adding: “But there’s not many teams in the world who can do that, especially in a World Cup semi-final in that moment. I was on the pitch, I felt it, we’re doing everything we can not to let them score and sometimes that can be a negative thought. It is about keeping that calmness and composure. As heartbreaking as it was, I’m hoping that experience will put me and the group in massive stead going forward, that in those situations we can remember how it felt when the whistle went in that game, of how the last half-hour [against Argentina] felt. It just felt a bit sour, the way it ended.” He also added: “They’re not going to be here for ever. They might not be here for a camp or whatever, and other people need to step up. Starting now, the World Cup is done.”
Tuchel also faces selection choices elsewhere in the squad, with Jarell Quansah competing with Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back and the uncapped Alex Scott vying with Myles Lewis-Skelly and James Garner for a midfield spot. England will host Spain in their opening Nations League fixture at Wembley on Saturday evening.