Opinion: Why Tuchel's Strong Palmer Admission Doesn't Tell Entire Chelsea & England Story | OneFootball

Palmer featured in Chelsea's 3-0 defeat against Brentford in the final game before the international break.

Cole Palmer received a firm message from Thomas Tuchel after his recent England withdrawal - but was the Three Lions boss fair in his message to the Chelsea attacker?

Despite getting called up for the Nations League matches against Spain, Croatia and Czechia, Palmer opted to withdraw due to injury and load management.

The 24-year-old's decision has drawn scrutiny after he was not selected for the World Cup in the summer, suggesting he should be itching to prove himself and become a regular in the England setup.

Palmer has made a positive start to the 2026/27 season, scoring twice and assisting as many in five Premier League appearances under Xabi Alonso.

His call-up was thoroughly deserved and a fresh chance to impress Tuchel, who made the big decision to leave him out of the World Cup squad.

But Palmer has been struggling with injuries over the last year or so, which has meant he has missed plenty of football for both club and, consequently, country.

As a result, Chelsea and Palmer clearly want to be cautious about the forward's situation, particularly given that Alonso has been without key players Reece James, Moises Caicedo, and Joao Pedro due to injury. They cannot afford to lose another star player.

Prior to England's 3-2 defeat to Spain at Wembley on Saturday night, Palmer was the big talking point. Tuchel admitted it was a 'missed opportunity', although he refused to blame Palmer for his absence.

"For sure it's a missed opportunity," Tuchel said. "It's another missed opportunity. He misses too many opportunities.

"I don't blame him for it, it's just a fact. He misses way too many camps with injuries.

"I only want to rely on what I personally witness and see within my team. For that you have to be in camp. If you are not in camp there is a next level to impress that you cannot achieve because you can only do it with me on the pitch and with us on the pitch. It is a missed opportunity."

But when quizzed on whether it appears that Palmer doesn't seem desperate to play for England, Tuchel replied: "It's hard to argue against what you're saying."

This suggests Tuchel believes Palmer may not have the desire to play for his country, but the numbers show it isn't all on Palmer.

The big talking point is Palmer's availability and whether he has the desire to link up for his country, even if it means playing through the pain barrier.

Palmer now has to put himself first. The numbers don't lie - he has missed too many camps because of injury.

But it was Tuchel's decision to leave the Chelsea forward out of his World Cup squad - that was a choice, not an enforced decision.

There were positives; it offered Palmer a whole summer off to recover, and it has clearly benefited him.

Injury problems have plagued Palmer's availability for England. Image: Sky Sports

Tuchel put his selection decision first; now Palmer has put his individual needs ahead of the England boss.

Palmer isn't the first, and won't be the last, to pull out due to injury problems. Plenty of other Premier League players have done so already this international break, including Arsenal's Declan Rice and Liverpool forward Alexander Isak.

Tuchel also opted not to select Levi Colwill, instead opting to pick Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite, who wasn't exactly convincing - like the other England defenders - when he came on against Spain, albeit he was only on the pitch for a couple of minutes.

Closer to home, Chelsea have seen Jamie Gittens suffer an injury on England Under-21s duty. It is not a surprise the Blues and their medical team are being cautious.

Palmer has received support from Chelsea, including teammate Morgan Rogers, who backed his decision to look after his body, even if it means missing England duty.

There is no doubt Palmer will have to play catch-up to convince Tuchel to select him for future squads. He will have to do the talking on the pitch for Chelsea before proving it to Tuchel in an England shirt the next time he gets the chance.

During his time as Chelsea head coach, Tuchel knows what it is like to lose key players to long-term injuries - notably James and Ben Chilwell.

Frustration must be hitting Tuchel, who is now on the other side of the table, understandably, given Palmer's quality and influence. Hopefully, he can be available for the next international break.