England manager Thomas Tuchel reiterated his argument that Cole Palmer “misses too many opportunities to impress,” putting the omission of Chelsea’s playmaker down to his previous injuries and absences during international breaks.

Palmer has been a hot topic throughout Tuchel’s tenure. The 24-year-old attacking midfielder was a regular toward the end of Sir Gareth Southgate’s spell at the helm, notably scoring in the 2024 European Championship final defeat to Spain. However, an injury-riddled 2025–26 season limited his availability for the camps leading up to last summer’s World Cup, which Tuchel made him watch from home.

At the time, the blunt German coach explained that Palmer had been overlooked because of “a lack of individual form” for Chelsea and the opinion that he was “just not outstanding” on a rare set of outings in the March international break.

Tuchel called Palmer up for his first post-World Cup roster only to be disappointed by his swift withdrawal through injury . Chelsea’s No.…