Rio Ferdinand sends England boss Thomas Tuchel clear Cole Palmer message | OneFootball

Rio Ferdinand believes Chelsea ace Cole Palmer has a few things that other England midfielders, such as Manchester City's Phil Foden, cannot offer.

Obviously, due to a persistent groin injury, Palmer has missed out on the last three international breaks and England's last six games.

England boss Thomas Tuchel previously described Palmer's continuous absence from the training camp as "concerning".

There is only one remaining international break left this season in March, but if Palmer performs at Chelsea the way he did last season, it would be a surprise if he did not make the England squad.

Ferdinand believes that for the number 10 position, Tuchel will eventually have three options: Palmer, Foden, and Jude Bellingham.

IMAGO / Laci Perenyi

He believes that each of these three has their own characteristics, but in terms of passing, he is convinced that Palmer has the edge.

"How smooth he is, his ability to turn in half spaces," the former Manchester United defender said on Rio Ferdinand Presents when speaking about Palmer.

"I think he'd be the closest to Phil Foden in that sense... getting on the half turn and being able to thread someone in.

"His passing over different ranges is better than Phil's, I think. He's got more of a range. From 30 yards to four or five yards, he's got it on lock, and he scores. The guy scores."

IMAGO / Ulmer/Teamfoto

To be fair, having to choose a starter among these three during the World Cup is not exactly a bad problem for Tuchel to have.

As Ferdinand pointed out, however, Palmer has statistically been the most prolific midfielder among the trio, having provided 15 goals and eight assists for Chelsea in the Premier League last season.

Despite his injury issues this season, Palmer has still scored two goals for the Blues from four appearances in all competitions, not to mention his three goals in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Let's also not forget that Palmer scored England's only goal in the 2024 Euro final defeat to Spain, just a few minutes after coming on as a substitute.

It did not matter in the end, but he has already proved on several occasions that even when the stakes were high, he could still deliver.