Cole Palmer will miss the opportunity to showcase his impressive Chelsea form on the international stage with England this afternoon.
The reigning Premier League Young Player of the Year has already established himself as a contender for the top award this season.
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The 22-year-old currently leads the league in assists with four, even though Chelsea has managed to win only one of their first three games.
Palmer, who has also scored his first goal of the new Premier League season, has continued to impress.
He would have been looking forward to reuniting with Lee Carsley, with whom he celebrated winning the U21 Euros in the summer of 2023.
Palmer was instrumental in the Young Lions’ 1-0 victory over Spain, scoring a free-kick that secured their first European trophy in 39 years.
A year later, he almost achieved similar success for the senior team against La Roja in the Euro 2024 final.
However, the Three Lions fell to a 2-1 defeat, marking Gareth Southgate‘s final match in charge.
Now, Palmer will miss the chance to establish himself as a key player in England’s new era this week, and here’s why…
Why is Palmer not playing for England?
The talented midfielder was among three players who withdrew from Carsley’s squad for the England Nations League matches.
Palmer appeared set to earn his 10th and 11th caps for the Three Lions in the double-header against the Republic of Ireland and Finland.
However, he has faced injury concerns over the past month. After reporting to St George’s Park for assessment, he was sent back to Chelsea to continue his recovery.
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England squad
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle United).
Defenders: Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), John Stones (Manchester City), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Rico Lewis (Manchester City), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United).
Midfielders: Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Angel Gomes (Lille).
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal).
« Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins, and Phil Foden will not feature in England’s upcoming UEFA Nations League matches, » an FA statement announced.
« The Three Lions squad arrived at St George’s Park on Tuesday, but following evaluations, both Palmer and Watkins have returned to their clubs for rehabilitation of ongoing concerns. »
« Foden was absent due to illness, making him ineligible for the fixtures against the Republic of Ireland and Finland. »
Palmer was seen limping off the pitch after Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Servette last month, holding his hamstring.
Despite these concerns, he has been declared fit to start all three of Enzo Maresca‘s Premier League matches this season and played a full 90 minutes in last Sunday’s draw against Crystal Palace.
His latest issue is not considered serious, and there are no indications that he will be unavailable for the upcoming trip to Bournemouth.
Interestingly, this week, Palmer was excluded from Chelsea’s Europa Conference League squad, a decision thought to be made with workload management in mind, suggesting concerns about him being overburdened.
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This consideration may have influenced the decision for him to withdraw from the England squad as well.
Both of the Three Lions’ matches will be available live on talkSPORT, hosted by Adrian Durham.
Commentary will be provided by Jim Proudfoot alongside former England captain Stuart Pearce.
To listen to talkSPORT live through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
Stream via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, your smart speaker, or tune in at 1089 or 1053 AM.
https://talksport.com/football/2032905/why-cole-palmer-not-playing-england-nations-league-chelsea-lee-carsley/
