Cole Palmer faces an uphill battle to earn an England recall, with Thomas Tuchel increasingly settled on the attacking options currently available to him.
The Chelsea playmaker has missed the last two international camps. He withdrew from the September squad because of fitness concerns before being omitted from the group selected for November’s Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain.
Palmer’s ability is not in question, but his availability and the strength of competition for places have complicated his route back into the England squad.
Cole Palmer’s England recall challenge
Reports have suggested that Palmer now faces a prolonged fight to regain Tuchel’s confidence. The England manager was understood to be unhappy after the player withdrew from the September camp.
In Palmer’s absence, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White have strengthened their claims for places in England’s attack.
Tuchel has publicly said that Palmer’s November omission was not personal. It has also been reported that the decision was intended to reward players who had been available for previous international camps.
The situation has prompted questions about Palmer’s commitment to England, but those claims have been firmly rejected by his Chelsea team-mate Rogers.
Rogers described suggestions that Palmer did not want to represent his country as “a lie”, saying the 24-year-old had instead needed to manage his body following a difficult period with injury.
Palmer’s strong form for Chelsea means his international career is not considered to be in serious danger. However, the immediate issue appears to be trust and availability rather than a lack of quality.
Competition for places can change quickly, but Palmer’s clearest route back into Tuchel’s plans is to remain fit, continue performing for Chelsea and remove any uncertainty over his reliability.
If he can do that, his performances should give the England manager reason to reconsider his current attacking choices.
