Cole Palmer has been warned by Thomas Tuchel over his England future after another “missed opportunity” following his latest withdrawal.
The Chelsea star was left out of the World Cup last summer but has impressed so far this season after a run of games for his club, forming part of an exciting attacking trio under Xabi Alonso.
But Palmer was among five players to drop out of the squad after his latest recall, with load management cited as the reason, leading Tuchel to admit that he may struggle to “rely” on the player without witnessing his form up close.
“For sure, it’s a missed opportunity,” Tuchel said ahead of England facing Spain in the Nations League. “It’s another missed opportunity, it's just a fact, he misses way too many camps with injuries.
“I only want to rely on what I witness and see from my team. For that you have to be in camp, if you're not in camp, there's a next level to impress that you cannot achieve, you cannot do it unless you're with me on the pitch, so yes, it's a missed opportunity.”
Tuchel also admitted frustration at the situation surrounding Palmer’s availability.
“My understanding is he plays with this discomfort and pain and he cannot compete at the highest level with this pain and withdrew,” Tuchel added.
“Chelsea informed us of this understanding, we're not managing load, I used the term of an international break, from the other side it's totally different. What we created, a competitive environment, but also one the players love to be in, walk through the door, love to train with each other, be with each other, that's what togetherness and brotherhood looks like.
“We will never compromise on that. We will never let this creep in, the feeling that players don't want to come. We focus on the players who absolutely want to play for England.”
