"He misses way too many camps with injuries, and I only want to rely on what I witness and see within in my team, and for that you have to be in camp," Thomas Tuchel said, quoted by dailymail.com, as he explained why Cole Palmer is out of the England squad again. Palmer was not selected despite being fully fit and available, and Tuchel has made it clear this is about camp trust more than club reputation.

Tuchel's camp trust argument

Tuchel did not soften the point when he spoke again about the omission. Quoted by metro.co.uk, he said: "It is enough no10s [in the squad] and we stick with guys who were in camp because camp was excellent for the two-and-a-half weeks we had together,"

That is the core of his selection logic. Palmer's absence is not being framed as a lack of form. Tuchel is backing the players he has worked with in camp, and he returned to that theme more than once.

He also said, quoted by metro.co.uk: "It was a long camp, two-and-a-half weeks and the boys who were in the camp built something extraordinary. That’s why the credit and trust goes to them."

From an England point of view, the manager has some cover for being stubborn. England sit on nine points from their opening three matches in League A Group 3, and they need one draw from their final two games to advance to the quarter-finals. Results give Tuchel room to back continuity.

Palmer's omission still stands out

Even so, Palmer is an awkward player to leave out when he is fit. The Chelsea attacker has made 9 Premier League appearances this season and has 3 goals and 3 assists.

There is some noise around how his club form has been described elsewhere, and not every source has used the same numbers. The verified league return here is 3 goals and 3 assists across those 9 appearances, which is still enough to make the omission notable given that he was available.

Tuchel's line on the player himself was less severe than the selection call. Quoted by metro.co.uk, he said: "Everyone is desperate to play for England and Cole is no exception."

He then returned to the same issue again: "But we are speaking about a player who is not in camp and on the other hand it counts when you are in camp and I said it last time, he misses too many opportunities to impress."

You can see the manager's reasoning, but it is still a hard sell when a fit Palmer is missing and others are moving ahead of him.

New call-ups and the November games

Jobe Bellingham and Joshua King both received senior call-ups, which tells you Tuchel is not just preserving places, he is actively rewarding players he thinks fit the group.

King's case is clearer from the numbers and the role. He has 2 goals and 1 assist in his first 9 Premier League games of the season, and Tuchel said, quoted by metro.co.uk: "The impact of other players was immense and that’s why we stick with the group and all the offensive players. We have Josh King in there but I also want to see him on both wings, he can play all four positions, that is basically the reason."

Bellingham's call-up comes alongside that shift toward fresh faces, while Ben White is back in the squad for the first time since March.

This squad now heads into two November Nations League fixtures, against Croatia and Spain, with qualification for the quarter-finals within reach. Palmer, despite being fit, will watch those games from outside the camp again.

FAQ

Why has Cole Palmer been left out of the England squad again?

Thomas Tuchel said the issue is camp attendance and trust, not sentiment. He said Palmer has missed too many camps with injuries and that he only wants to rely on what he sees within his team in camp. Palmer was fully fit and available, but Tuchel stuck with players who were already in camp.

Will Cole Palmer return to the England squad soon?

Tuchel did not close the door on Palmer. He said everyone is desperate to play for England and that Palmer is no exception. But the current message is clear: Tuchel values camp presence and the trust built over the recent two-and-a-half-week camp, so Palmer still has ground to make up.

Why were Jobe Bellingham and Josh King picked ahead of Cole Palmer?

Tuchel kept faith with the attacking players already in camp and added fresh options he feels fit the group. Jobe Bellingham and Josh King received senior call-ups, while Tuchel pointed to King's versatility, saying he can play on both wings and across all four attacking positions.

How close are England to the Nations League quarter-finals?

England are in a strong position. They have nine points from their opening three matches in League A Group 3 and need one draw from their final two games to advance to the quarter-finals. This squad is for the upcoming matches against Croatia and Spain.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →