Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink says he would have taken ‘absolutely magnificent’ Chelsea star to the World Cup | OneFootball

Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has said that he would have taken Blues playmaker Cole Palmer to the World Cup with England this summer.

Palmer had a difficult 2025/26 season with Chelsea due to multiple injuries. He barely played in the first half of the campaign due to a nagging groin issue.

Despite this, the 24-year-old ended the season with 11 goals and three assists from 34 outings.

In an exclusive interview with 10Bet, Hasselbaink said that he is a huge admirer of the England international and described him as ‘absolutely magnificent’.

The 54-year-old added that he would have personally taken Palmer to the World Cup and played him on the right wing despite his injuries and average form last term.

However, Hasselbaink feels Palmer’s exclusion from the Three Lions’ World Cup squad may not be a bad thing as he can fully recover ahead of the pre-season campaign.

He said: “Look, everybody knows I am a Cole Palmer lover. I think the boy is absolutely magnificent.

“Would I have done the same? No, I would have taken him. I would have maybe played him from the right. But he hasn’t had the best season; he has been struggling with injuries.

“For Cole – and he might not feel this at this moment in time – it might not be a bad thing. He can have a good pre-season, concentrate on the coming season, and sort his body out.”

Palmer joined the Blues from Manchester City for an initial £40 million in the summer of 2023.

The Blues playmaker has fared brilliantly with 54 goals and 32 assists from 131 appearances. His performances have dipped over the past year, due to a heavier workload in all competitions.

Palmer barely got a break during the 2024/25 campaign after a hectic Club World Cup. The quick return to Premier League action no doubt contributed to him picking up a worrying groin injury.

That kept him sidelined for some period of time, but the attacker showed good fitness levels during the back end of last season, playing 90 minutes in almost every league game which he had started.

His finishing was far from impressive, with multiple big chances missed. Hopefully, the ongoing break away from football can help him revitalise. A good pre-season could see him back to his best.