Sports · updated 4h ago · 2 min read
Thomas Tuchel Says Cole Palmer Misses Too Many Opportunities After England Withdrawal
Tuchel says Palmer 'misses too many opportunities' to play for England. Palmer withdrew due to fitness problems and discomfort ahead of Nations League.
Whether Palmer's withdrawal is mainly fitness or commitment.
8 of 10 outlets skipped it: palmer withdrew again due to fitness problem, with Tuchel questioning his desire to play.
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BBC
“My understanding is that he is playing with discomfort and pain, and he cannot compete at the highest level with discomfort and pain.”Read the original ↗
BBC (Western Mainstream) explains Palmer's withdrawal as pain and fitness. Sky Sports emphasises Tuchel questioning Palmer's willingness to play.
Palmer left out
England manager Thomas Tuchel said Cole Palmer “misses too many opportunities” to play for England after the Chelsea forward pulled out of the latest squad. Tuchel told reporters that Palmer was playing with “discomfort and pain” and that “he cannot compete at the highest level with discomfort and pain,” so he withdrew and informed England, and Chelsea informed England. Tuchel said Palmer had been left out of the World Cup squad and had featured just three times since Tuchel took charge of the Three Lions in January 2025.
Tuchel added that he was not worried about players putting clubs above playing for their country, saying “We are not managing load.” Tuchel said England’s first game since the end of the World Cup is against world champions Spain at Wembley on Saturday, and he expected the sold-out atmosphere to stay positive.
Injury, camps, and trust
Tuchel said Palmer’s withdrawal was not a case of load management, and he argued that players have to be in camp to reach “the next level to impress.”
Tuchel told reporters that “He misses way too many camps with injuries,” and he said he only wants to rely on what he “personally witness[es]” in his team.
Tuchel said it leaves England with Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, describing them as “All in camp. All desperate to be here. All available.”
Sky Sports reported that Tuchel questioned how desperate Palmer is to play for England, and Tuchel responded, “It's hard to argue against what you're saying.”S
Tuchel also said he had no reason not to trust players who withdrew, saying they were “fantastic” when they were with England in the U.S.
What comes next
England’s Nations League schedule includes matches against Spain, Czechia (home and away) and Croatia, with Palmer’s omission coming as Tuchel prepares to manage the squad without him. Tuchel said he could only judge Palmer as England’s national team coach, and he warned that Palmer is “just missing too many opportunities.” The Guardian reported that Tuchel was considering an England recall for Cole Palmer for the Nations League and could include Alex Scott in his squad.
“Tuchel will reveal his squad on Friday, 18 September at 10am.”
talkSPORT reported that Tuchel would announce his England squad on Friday, 18 September at 10am, ahead of England’s first game since the 2026 World Cup against Spain at Wembley. The Guardian said England is likely to name an extended squad as it opens Nations League Group A3 with games against Spain and Croatia and a double header against Czechia.