Chelsea informed England that Cole Palmer was fit for international duty before the Blues star was overlooked for the latest squad. The 24-year-old was a notable absence from Thomas Tuchel's roster for the UEFA Nations League fixtures against Croatia and world champions Spain.
The Three Lions contacted Xabi Alonso's side to determine Palmer's fitness before the squad announcement on Friday. According to football.london , the Blues confirmed that the forward is fit and available for selection.
Despite Palmer's availability, he was decisively excluded by the German boss, who instead opted for Borussia Dortmund star Jobe Bellingham and Fulham ace Josh King.
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The 24-year-old Chelsea star has enjoyed a solid start to the campaign, recording three goals and three assists in nine league appearances as Chelsea occupy fourth place in the Premier League. Palmer was previously selected for England duty in September, but withdrew due to a "small injury".
Tuchel had acknowledged at the time that Palmer misses too many England camps and, following the announcement of his latest squad, stated his absence from the international scene factors into his selection decisions, as per The Mirror .
The Three Lions boss said on Friday: "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 was a long camp, it was two and a half weeks and the players and the boys who were in camp built something extraordinary. That's why the credit goes to them, the trust is for them. If you are in camp, this is your chance to impress.
"So it's not personal and of course we will never assume that Cole is not in the mindset to come and desperate to play for his country, but the competition is on and the players who were in camp did an amazing job and kept their place."
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Palmer has earned nine of his 14 international appearances in 2024, but has featured only three times for his nation over the past two years. Meanwhile, his teammate Morgan Rogers has established himself as an England regular recently and has produced an impressive maiden season in West London, contributing five goals and one assist across nine appearances.
The selection of Jude's younger sibling, Jobe, has generated considerable attention and arrived unexpectedly. Addressing the choice to bring in the Dortmund player, Tuchel explained: "Lee Carsley has been talking highly about Jobe for weeks and months, that he deserves it if there is a spot and a possibility to join and to make an impression in the first team.
"He had good matches and is on a good run of form with Dortmund so he deserves to be with us."
