England manager Thomas Tuchel says Cole Palmer is missing too many chances to represent his country after the Chelsea attacker withdrew from the latest squad.
Palmer’s decision to pull out was unexpected because he has started each of Chelsea’s first five Premier League games this season. However, Tuchel revealed that the player had been dealing with pain and discomfort.
The 24-year-old was not selected by Tuchel for the World Cup squad and has made only three appearances since the German became England manager in January 2025.
Tuchel said his understanding was that Palmer had been playing through pain and was therefore unable to perform at the highest possible level. The player withdrew after both he and Chelsea notified the England camp.
The manager described the situation as another lost opportunity for Palmer, while making clear that he did not hold the player responsible for being injured.
He added that Palmer had missed too many international camps because of fitness problems and explained that he could only judge players by what they showed while training and playing with his squad.
According to Tuchel, a player cannot make the same impression from outside the camp because reaching the next level requires working directly with the manager on the pitch. For that reason, Palmer’s absence represents a missed chance.
Palmer is believed to be overseas while following a training programme designed specifically to support his recovery.
Chelsea players without international commitments have received time off and are allowed to travel if they choose to do so.
A member of Chelsea’s rehabilitation staff has travelled abroad with Palmer to assist him during his recovery.
Declan Rice, Tino Livramento, Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo also withdrew from the squad because of injuries.
Tuchel insisted that he had no concerns about players prioritising their clubs over representing England.
He explained that the national team does not treat these periods as opportunities to manage workloads. Having previously worked in club football, he now sees the international window from a very different perspective.
Tuchel said the England setup is highly competitive but also provides an atmosphere that players enjoy being part of.
He believes the unity and close bond within the squad have developed since qualifying began last September, and he stressed that those standards will not be weakened.
The manager added that the team would not allow doubts to grow over whether players wanted to attend, saying the emphasis would remain on those fully committed to representing England.
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