"I'm not crying over a decision you can't change" — that's Cole Palmer's verdict on being left out of England's World Cup squad. Measured, honest, and about as far from a public sulk as you can get.
Thomas Tuchel dropped Palmer from his 26-man roster despite the Chelsea midfielder scoring one of Euro 2024's defining moments — an equaliser in the final that kept England's tournament alive. That goal, that stage, that pressure. And he still didn't make the cut.
Tuchel was direct about why. "He was not as decisive or as influential as he was in the last seasons," the England manager said. "His record with us was just not outstanding, not good enough to make him 'no matter what, he is coming'." Hard to argue with the logic, even if the omission still stings given the names who were also left out — Foden, Alexander-Arnold, Maguire, Gibbs-White among them.
A difficult season catches up with him
Palmer's 2024/25 campaign was his worst since joining Chelsea. Injuries disrupted his rhythm, the managerial carousel at Stamford Bridge didn't help, and his numbers dropped sharply from the season that made him a household name. In a World Cup year, that dip had consequences.
He's taking it on the chin. "This season hasn't been the best, but it is what it is," he told iD magazine. His summer plans? Rest. Genuinely rest — something he says he hasn't had in three or four years. Whether he'll even watch England's games is apparently up in the air. "If I'm not doing anything, then I'll watch the matches, yeah."
That line says everything about where his head is. No bitterness, but no pretending it doesn't matter either.
Alonso era is the real focus now
Palmer returns to a Chelsea that looks very different going into next season — Xabi Alonso arriving as head coach changes the club's entire trajectory. Whether Palmer can rediscover the form that made him one of the Premier League's most dangerous attackers under a manager who actually builds systems around his best players is the question Chelsea backers will want answered fast.
A fully fit, motivated Palmer at his 2023/24 level shifts Chelsea's attacking odds considerably. Right now, that's an if — and this summer is when it starts being answered.
"I'm going to relax this summer, rest for the first time in 3 or 4 years, before getting back to what I love," he said. The World Cup goes on without him. Pre-season won't wait long.
