Cole Palmer is desperate to be part of Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad and is determined to make up for lost time with his country as he closes in on a Chelsea playing return.
Chelsea star Palmer has been out since September with a groin injury and has played only once for England in just over a year, in the 1-0 victory over Andorra in June.
While he has been out, Palmer’s best friend in football, Morgan Rogers, has made a claim for the England No 10 shirt and Jude Bellingham was recalled for the final World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania.
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England do not play again until next March, by which time Palmer will have only played for his country once in almost 18 months, and Tuchel has warned that he will not be able to pick all the No 10s at his disposal.
For some, that has put a question mark against Palmer’s inclusion. But Tuchel has kept in contact with the player and Chelsea during his injury, which has maintained optimism that the 23-year-old remains very much in the plans of the England head coach.
Stamford Bridge insiders remain insistent that they believe Palmer will go to the World Cup if he is fit and the player’s desperation to go has been made evident to those around him. He is even said to have discussed the various permutations open to Tuchel with some of his allies.
Rogers has presented a strong case to go to the World Cup, while Bellingham showed during the Euros how he can influence big games. But since the start of last season, Palmer has outperformed both Rogers and Phil Foden in terms of goals and assists per games played in club football, with Bellingham equalling his combined total but scoring fewer.
During the same period, Palmer has played only three times for England and has not scored or assisted, which shows why he is eager to prove he can make an impact for Tuchel before he picks his World Cup squad.
Chelsea’s Champions League game against Barcelona next Tuesday has been loosely suggested as a possible return date for Palmer. If he does not quite make that game, then he will hope to play as soon as possible after it with Chelsea entertaining Arsenal five days later.
Palmer has returned to the grass at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground and will step up his work as long as he does not suffer any setbacks to his recovery from a groin injury that dates back to the Club World Cup.
Surgery was never seriously considered as a solution to Palmer’s groin pain, but a decision was taken to allow him to recover properly rather than keep managing it after he was forced off against Manchester United after just 21 minutes.
As well as being treated by club medics, he has seen a number of groin specialists to get the best advice and there is confidence he, Chelsea and England will see the benefit of that when it really matters.
Chelsea were able to manage the issue through the Club World Cup and that paid off, as Palmer scored twice and produced a man-of-the-match performance in the final against Paris St-Germain. That match was played inside the MetLife Stadium – the venue for next summer’s World Cup final where he dreams of starring again.
The victory over PSG was perhaps the best example so far of Palmer being a big-game player. Sources around the Chelsea dressing room have described the former Manchester City player as being like an excited puppy the day before the Club World Cup final.
Palmer showed his big-game player mentality in Chelsea’s victory over PSG in the Club World Cup final last summer Credit: Reuters/Hannah McKay
Where some players can see the possibility of failure and criticism, Palmer only sees opportunity and the chance to make an impact on the big stage. He does not worry what might be said or written about him and is virtually oblivious to any outside noise.
That big-game mentality was also evident at the final of the European Championships in 2024, when Palmer stepped off the substitutes’ bench to score England’s equaliser against Spain. The fact Spain went on to win the game will have only added to Palmer’s regret that he was not given a greater chance to shine in that tournament.
A determination to play a bigger part in a major tournament for England will help fuel his bid to win a place in Tuchel’s World Cup squad and make up for lost time.
It has been noticed inside Cobham that Palmer has spent his time wisely in the gym while he has been injured, which has been noticeable in a change of physique.
This has been the first time Palmer has spent any significant time on the sidelines with injury since joining Chelsea and becoming a star, and he is said to have dealt with it well. Not only has Palmer been in the Chelsea dressing room before and after games, he has also watched matches from behind the coaching staff and substitutes. Away from match day, he has watched training from the touchline when he has not been in rehab or recovery and has very much remained part of the group.
While Palmer is not one of the vocal members of the dressing room, he is part of the Chelsea leadership group and is described as being “glue” within the club; as somebody who can connect with different ages and profiles of people.
Palmer is said to be just as likely to sit with a member of staff or a scout to eat his lunch as he is another player. His closest friend in the Chelsea squad is 28-year-old Tosin Adarabioyo, but he has also struck up a good early relationship with 18-year-old Willian Estêvão.
Those who have known Palmer since his early days at City insist his personality has not changed along with his status and that he remains easy to talk to and surprisingly down to earth.
That easy-natured attitude can occasionally be mistaken for not being laser-focused by people who do not know him or have not played with him. But sources insist Palmer is deadly serious about his football and his desire to play at the very top for Chelsea and England – which includes going to the World Cup.