Thomas Tuchel tells Cole Palmer he 'misses too many opportunities' to play for England after leaving Chelsea star out of his latest squad

Published: 06:46 EDT, 6 November 2026 | Updated: 06:47 EDT, 6 November 2026 Thomas Tuchel has warned Cole Palmer he 'misses too many opportunities' to play for England, after leaving him out of his latest squad.The Chelsea star is a high-profile omission ahead of upcoming Nations League games against Croatia and Spain, having withdrawn from duty during the last international break with a minor muscular injury.England were assured Palmer is 100 per cent fit and ready when they contacted Chelsea this week – with his omission purely down to a selection decision from Tuchel and not to do with any fitness issues.The German said on Friday: 'I guess everyone is desperate to play for England and Cole is no exception. 'We are speaking now about a player that is not in camp. It counts when you are in camp and I just said last time that he misses too many opportunities to impress. 'It was a long camp, it was two and a half weeks and the players and the boys who were in camp built something extraordinary. Thomas Tuchel has warned Cole Palmer he misses too many opportunities to play for England Palmer is a high-profile omission from Tuchel's squad for England's upcoming Nations League games He withdrew from the last squad, leaving boss Thomas Tuchel questioning his commitment'That's why the credit goes to them, the trust is for them. If you are in camp, this is your chance to impress.'So it's not personal and of course we will never assume that Cole is not in the mindset to come and desperate to play for his country, but the competition is on and the players who were in camp did an amazing job and kept their place.'Last month Tuchel appeared to question Palmer's desire to represent his country, warning he 'misses way too many camps' as the 24-year-old skipped all four England fixtures in September and October.Palmer had played a full 90 for Chelsea away at Bournemouth before that break, which he then used to fly abroad to the Caribbean with his girlfriend, Olivia Holder, after withdrawing from England duty. He was accompanied by a personal rehab coach on that trip, and was provided with an injury-specific training and recovery plan by his club.Palmer started in Chelsea's first fixture when the Premier League returned at home to Brentford with Blues boss Xabi Alonso insisting they were right to take care of their star player themselves.It has been described as standard procedure for England to make medical checks on players with clubs. While it does not guarantee a call-up, it indicates how Tuchel has been weighing up offering Palmer another chance as he names his next squad on Friday morning.