England have privately asked Chelsea for the latest on Cole Palmer ahead of Thomas Tuchel revealing his squad for the Nations League clashes with Croatia and Spain.
Palmer is under consideration for another call-up, having withdrawn from duty during the last international break with a minor muscular injury.
Tuchel responded by appearing to question his desire to represent his country, warning he ‘misses way too many camps’ as the 24-year-old skipped all four England fixtures in September and October.
Palmer had played a full 90 for Chelsea away at Bournemouth before that break, which he then used to fly abroad to the Caribbean with his girlfriend, Olivia Holder, after withdrawing from England duty. He was accompanied by a personal rehab coach on that trip, and was provided with an injury-specific training and recovery plan by his club.
Palmer started in Chelsea’s first fixture when the Premier League returned at home to Brentford with Blues boss Xabi Alonso insisting they were right to take care of their star player themselves.
Chelsea star Cole Palmer is under consideration for England UEFA Nations League call-up
He withdrew from the last squad, leaving boss Thomas Tuchel questioning his commitment
Palmer, who was injured, went to the Caribbean with girlfriend Olivia Holder on the last international break
It has been described as standard procedure for England to make medical checks on players with clubs. While it does not guarantee a call-up, it indicates how Tuchel has been weighing up offering Palmer another chance as he names his next squad on Friday morning.
Palmer was not the only player to withdraw from England duty in the last break, with Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford and Tino Livramento among other dropouts.
Yet Palmer’s issue was a contentious topic after it represented a chance for him to return to England’s thinking following his 2026 World Cup omission. His representative did not answer when asked whether he would happily accept another call-up after Tuchel’s previous comments.
Palmer has played an important role for Chelsea early in this season with three goals and three assists in the Premier League.
He scored a penalty in their last win over Manchester United, which took him to 50 goals in 105 games in the top flight for the Blues. He has started every league game under Alonso this term with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light this Sunday.
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