Thomas Tuchel omitted Cole Palmer from England’s November squad, saying the Chelsea midfielder has missed too many chances to impress in camp.
Palmer was available for selection, Tuchel said, and leaving him out wasn't personal. The Chelsea midfielder has been excluded from the squad for matches against Croatia and Spain after missing the previous camp.
The decision reflected the opportunities Palmer had missed to work with the national team, Tuchel said. “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,” Tuchel said.
Palmer, 24, has now missed two squads and has not played for England since March. He also missed the World Cup after struggling with injuries last season.
Palmer has remained available to Chelsea, playing in all nine of the club’s Premier League matches this season. He was sent off during the defeat to Tottenham.
Continuity guides Tuchel’s selection
England had enough number 10s, Tuchel said, and had chosen to retain the players from the previous camp. “We have enough number 10s and we stick to the guys who were in the previous camp because we were happy with the two and a half weeks we had together,” he said.
Tuchel said the players who attended the previous camp had built something extraordinary over its two and a half weeks, giving them the credit and trust for the November matches.
“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. 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,” he said.
Tuchel also said he'd continue rewarding players who attend camp, avoid withdrawing and show that representing England matters.
Palmer was one of five players who withdrew from Tuchel’s first England squad since the World Cup. Declan Rice, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Tino Livramento also withdrew, but Rice is the only one of the five to have since been recalled.
There are several attacking-midfield options in the November group.
