Thomas Tuchel responds to Cole Palmer withdrawing from England squad – ‘it’s just the fact’ | OneFootball

Thomas Tuchel has questioned Cole Palmer’s commitment after the Chelsea star withdrew from the England squad for the international break.

Palmer was one of the notable omissions from Tuchel’s England World Cup squad, mainly because injuries derailed him during the 2025/26 campaign.

The Chelsea standout has returned to form at the start of this season and was initially included in the England squad for this international break.

However, Palmer was among five withdrawals due to ‘load management’, and Tuchel is unsure whether he is fully committed to playing for England.

When a reporter told Tuchel that it does not seem as if Palmer is desperate to be part of his England squad, the manager replied: “[It’s] hard to argue against what you are saying.”

“He misses way too many camps…”

Tuchel has also argued that Palmer has “missed an opportunity” this month, while he is guilty of “missing way too many camps”.

“For sure, it’s a missed opportunity,” Tuchel added.

“It’s another missed opportunity. He misses too many opportunities and I don’t blame him for it. It’s just the fact.

“He misses way too many camps with injuries and I only want to rely on what I personally witness and what I see within my team, and for that you have to be in camp.

“If you’re not in camp, there’s a next level to impress that you cannot achieve because you only can do it when you’re actually with me on the pitch and with us on the pitch. So, yes, it is a missed opportunity.”

Tuchel also fired a subtle dig at Palmer when speaking on the importance of having “togetherness and brotherhood” within the England camp.

“My understanding is that he plays with discomfort and pain, and he cannot compete on the highest level with discomfort and pain, so he withdrew and informed us and Chelsea informed us,” Tuchel continued.

“We are not managing load. When I was in club football, I used the term of an international break. This is when you hear it on the other side [and get] a totally different picture.

“This is not an international break and I think that’s what we created now. It’s a competitive environment, but it’s also an environment where the players love to be when they walk through the door. Where they love to train with each other, be with each other.

“That’s what togetherness and brotherhood looks like, and that’s what we created from last September in qualification. This brotherhood is so important and you miss out if you’re not there.

“We will never compromise on that and we will never let this creep in that we have the feeling that players don’t want to come. It’s fair enough, but we focus on the guys who absolutely want to play for England.”