Why Cole Palmer is set to withdraw from England squad, with Man Utd duo also doubts | Football

Chelsea star Cole Palmer is expected to pull out of England’s squad for the side’s upcoming Nations League matches due to load management after suffering a ‘small injury’.

Palmer was named in Thomas Tuchel’s 27-man party for England’s clashes with Spain, the Czech Republic (playing twice) and Croatia on Friday, having been left out of the Three Lions’ World Cup squad in the summer.

The 24-year-old attacking midfielder went on to play the full 90 minutes of Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat to Brentford on Friday night – his seventh appearance of the season in all competitions for the Blues.

But according to The Athletic, it has been decided that it is best for Palmer to sit out England’s four fixtures over the course of an extended international break.

The Telegraph’s Matt Law claims the Chelsea man has picked up a ‘small injury’.

Manchester United duo Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford could be set to follow suit due to doubts over their fitness.

Mainoo managed 80 minutes of the Red Devils’ 1-1 draw with Fulham on Sunday, before being replaced by Mason Mount at Craven Cottage.

Marcus Rashford was also substituted in the closing stages in the capital and Michael Carrick subsequently confirmed that the winger had to be withdrawn due to an unspecified ‘issue’.

‘We had to bring him off as he had a bit of an issue,’ the United head coach told beIN SPORTS.

Palmer had hoped to have put his fitness concerns behind him after a deeply frustrating 2025/26 campaign with Chelsea, which meant he started only 24 of the club’s 38 games across the top-flight campaign.

This term, a seemingly reinvigorated Palmer has racked up four goals and two assists for Chelsea under new manager Xabi Alonso.

Palmer was named England’s Men’s Player of the Year back in 2023/24 and came on to score his country’s only goal in the side’s Euro 2024 final defeat at the hands of Spain.

The former Manchester City man has been capped 14 times in total at international level, with his last appearance coming in the Three Lions’ 1-0 loss to Japan in March.

‘They had a good start to the season,’ Tuchel said of his decision to recall both Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

‘They never did something wrong. We just chose different players.

‘So now it is a new competition. Some players, some positions, have more injuries. Some have less injuries.

‘Cole has his starts that he always had but he has his numbers back – he has his assists back, he has decisive goals back – so that is why he is in the squad.

‘I think he has a point to prove, and the same goes for Trent. He was never off the list. He was never non-selectable for us, and it is his chance to show, come to camp and be the best version of himself.’

Alonso sent out a positive message surrounding Palmer’s fitness at the start of the season, suggesting the forward had come out the other side of a ‘difficult period’.

‘I think that sometimes you need to go through a difficult moment with an injury or whatever to learn from that,’ the Chelsea manager told reporters.

‘I think that Cole has gone through a difficult period with the injury, and now he’s working really hard to have the prevention not to have to feel those symptoms.’

England kick off their Nations League campaign against Spain at Wembley in five days’ time.

Harry Kane and Co then travel to Prague to take on the Czech Republic next Tuesday before locking horns with Croatia in Rijeka on October 3.

Tuchel’s men conclude the international break by returning to Wembley to play host to the Czech Republic on October 6.

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