Ferdinand: Tuchel should take palmer over Henderson, even if only as a substitute

Manchester United legend Ferdinand questioned Tuchel's decision to exclude Palmer from the World Cup squad, insisting England should "take a gamble" on the Chelsea star.

With England's final warm-up match concluded, attention quickly shifts to their opening group stage match against Croatia at AT&T Stadium in Dallas in less than a week. Ferdinand believes that despite Palmer's disappointing season at Chelsea, he is still worth "a gamble" and should feature against Croatia, even if only as a super-sub.

When asked if Tuchel could be the one to end England's 60 years of hurt, Ferdinand said on the podcast: "I think we all have hope for it. Listen, the squad selection and the way he's gone about it, the players he's left out, there's a lot of debate... Some people would take this, that, and the other.

"I absolutely love Tuchel, I've had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times, once in Paris for a few drinks with him and his assistant, and he just talks football, man. It was great.

"But the one thing I disagree with him on: Cole Palmer. That's my big disagreement with Tuchel because Palmer has proven he can come on as a sub, be part of a squad, and make an impact in the biggest games. He scored in the European Championship final. Last year in the USA, he won the Club World Cup and was the best player in that tournament, in that kind of heat, so he knows the environment... and Tuchel doesn't take him. If there's one player I'd definitely take a gamble on, it's him."

Regarding the argument that Gibbs-White might be more deserving of inclusion, Ferdinand responded: "But he's not unique. The best teams have something different, something that makes you stand out at the World Cup and distinguishes you from other teams. That's ability and mentality. Palmer is that kind of player. We're talking about a player who isn't going to start for England... He's the one who hopes to create moments. Palmer has proven he can do that on the biggest stage. He did it in the European Championship final against Spain. That's my point. I like Gibbs-White, and I'm not against the calls for his inclusion, but if you're saying choose between the two, I wouldn't pick him."

When asked who he would ideally drop for Palmer, Ferdinand replied: "Jordan Henderson, I'd drop Henderson."

When pressed on how far England could go, he said: "I think semi-finals. But you know, if things go a certain way... There are always a lot of ifs, buts, and maybes here. But if things go a certain way, after England gets out of the group, they might play Mexico in Mexico, which could be one of the hottest cities we'll play in this summer. Then, if they get through, they might play Brazil in Miami - probably the second hottest place. And then, whatever happens, if England gets through, they might have to go home afterward because they won't have anything left in the tank."