Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has thrown his support behind Cole Palmer after the forward was once again left out of England's squad, urging the 24-year-old to concentrate on his club form rather than dwell on his international exile.
England boss Thomas Tuchel has now overlooked Palmer for a second consecutive squad announcement, naming his latest group on Friday for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Croatia and Spain. The German coach had said in September that Palmer had missed too many chances to establish himself with the national team after the player withdrew from a camp through injury, and he repeated that stance this week.
A Frustrating Season So Far
Palmer, who was also absent from Tuchel's World Cup plans, has endured an inconsistent beginning to the campaign at Stamford Bridge. He has registered five goals and three assists across 11 appearances in all competitions, linking up effectively with Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro in a lively attacking trio. Yet the numbers tell only part of the story. A red card in last month's 2-0 loss to Tottenham raised questions about his discipline, and he has not found the net from open play in the Premier League since August.
Since scoring in the Euro 2024 final, a 2-1 defeat to Spain, Palmer has made just five appearances for his country, a statistic that underlines how quickly his international fortunes have shifted.
Alonso Backs His Man
Speaking to reporters, Alonso made clear that his priority is keeping Palmer grounded and focused on the day-to-day work at Chelsea. "I'm very happy with his quality, attitude and the impact he's having on the rest of the team," the Chelsea boss said. "We speak about Chelsea, we have enough on our plate. We have to focus each weekend and that's what I can impact and talk about."
Alonso added that the forward's development depends on enjoying his football and continuing to improve. "He needs to focus on playing good football and enjoy playing with Chelsea," he said. "We spoke about the red card after the Spurs game, but most of the things apart from that are about the game, football and what we can do better."
Goalkeeper Boost for Sunderland Trip
Chelsea, currently fourth in the Premier League table, could receive a timely lift with the return of first-choice goalkeeper Emi Martinez for Sunday's visit to struggling Sunderland. The Argentine international suffered a fractured jaw just three weeks ago but has been cleared to feature while wearing a protective face mask.
"It is not the most comfortable thing," Alonso admitted. "He's been training almost the whole week with it and for a certain period of time he'll have to deal with it."
For Palmer, the message from his manager is simple: block out the noise, rediscover his rhythm in a Chelsea shirt, and let the rest take care of itself.
