Cole Palmer is back on the Chelsea schedule, but the sharper part of the story is still his reaction to missing out on Thomas Tuchel's England squad. Palmer, a high-profile omission after an injury-hit season, said the decision was hard to take, while also pointing to the upside of a rare summer off. He also reminded everyone of the level he has already shown, after scoring for England in the Euro 2024 final.
Palmer's reaction to missing out
Palmer's words were measured, but they were not empty. “Every player that plays football wants to be at the World Cup, but it's a decision that I cannot change and a hard one, for whatever reason. But I'm just trying to enjoy the summer off — the first summer I've ever had off. I know what I could have offered, you know — something different to what the manager has picked,” he told mirror.co.uk.
He added: “Yeah, of course it's nice [fans suggesting Palmer should have been included], but I'm not there. I know what I could have offered, you know — something different to what the manager has picked. But like I said before, I can't change the decision and I wish everyone all the best.”
That is a fair way to handle a disappointment that will have landed hard. Palmer is not pretending the omission is trivial, and he is not trying to turn it into a public feud either. The more interesting part is that he sounds refreshed rather than resentful, which is exactly what Chelsea will want at the start of pre-season.
Chelsea's first pre-season week
Chelsea report back for pre-season training on Thursday with at least five players unavailable. Reece James is among the absentees after missing England's win over Mexico through injury, while several others are still away on World Cup duty.
Xabi Alonso's first training session at Cobham is therefore being shaped by what is missing as much as by what is present. Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League last season with 52 points from 38 matches, and their last five league results were LWDLL. The club's first pre-season friendly is against Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday, July 28, before the Premier League opener away at Fulham on Monday, August 24.
Palmer returning to the schedule helps, but it is not the whole picture. Chelsea are still starting a rebuild summer with a thin group and a first session that will not feature everyone the manager wants to see.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →