Cole Palmer's dedication to England has been questioned in some quarters, but his Chelsea teammate Morgan Rogers has dismissed any suggestion that the 24-year-old is not committed to the national team. Rogers, who scored the opener in England's 2-1 UEFA Nations League victory over Croatia on Wednesday, spoke out after Palmer was left out of the squad by manager Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel, who replaced Gareth Southgate as England boss, said Palmer "misses too many chances to impress" and opted to stick with the players who were in the previous camp. Palmer, who has won 14 caps and scored two goals for England, was also not called up for the World Cup, where England finished third after losing to Argentina in the semi-final.
Rogers: 'It's a lie'
Rogers, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, was quick to defend his friend and teammate. "He wants to be here. He wanted to get called up and he wanted to come and represent his country as he always has done," Rogers said. "He was in quite a low place with his injuries last year and didn't feel 100% himself on the pitch, so he wants to be here and he wants to be the best version of himself. But he also has to look at his body. He wants to play for 10 or 15 years, he also has to manage himself. If he has to manage himself in the short term for the greater good then he has to do that and you have to fully support it. It has nothing to do with England or not wanting to play with England. It's a nonsense really that people are questioning someone that wants to play for England. It's a lie."
Palmer withdrew from the previous England camp in September citing a minor injury, and his absence from the current squad has raised eyebrows given his impressive club form. He has scored 50 Premier League goals with 24 assists in his career and was named England's men's player of the year for the 2023-24 season.
Tuchel's Stance
Tuchel, however, insists his decision is not personal. "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. "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's not personal. We will never assume Cole is in the mindset never to come to the camp. Cole is always in our mindset but the competition is on."
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, also speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, drew parallels with Tuchel's handling of Jude Bellingham last year. Bellingham was left out of the squad for a friendly against Wales and a World Cup qualifier against Latvia, but returned to play a key role in England's World Cup campaign, scoring seven goals. "You can see what Thomas Tuchel is doing when you look at what he's done with Jude Bellingham," Robinson said. "It was only 12 months or so that Jude Bellingham was getting left out of an England squad. Jude Bellingham was getting left out of England starting XIs. Call it what you want, but it was management from Thomas Tuchel to make Jude Bellingham realise that he wasn't the lone star of this team. The team was the star. The team was better with Jude Bellingham in it, playing at his highest level. There was a lesson in his management skills with Jude Bellingham and I wouldn't be surprised if he's doing the same now."
Palmer's England career is far from over, and with his talent and determination, he will be hoping to force his way back into Tuchel's plans sooner rather than later.
