Chelsea's Cole Palmer responds to controversial England World Cup exclusion
· Yahoo Sports
Cole Palmer has broken his silence following his controversial exclusion from England's FIFA World Cup squad. The Chelsea star was among the surprising omissions from Thomas Tuchel's 26-man roster, despite establishing himself as a pivotal figure at UEFA Euro 2024 under Gareth Southgate.
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The 24-year-old delivered a sensational equalizer in the final, exemplifying his game-changing ability and solidifying his status as one of English football's most exciting talents. Yet Tuchel passed over Palmer alongside the likes of Harry Maguire, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Morgan Gibbs-White.
Instead, the playmaker is savoring his first tournament-free summer for club and country since 2022 — and he isn't 'crying' about missing out on what would have been his first World Cup appearance, according to The Mirror.
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Speaking to iD magazine about the injury-plagued campaign that contributed to his omission, Palmer admitted: "This season hasn't been the best, but it is what it is. I'm not crying over a decision you can't change, and I hope the lads make it all the way.
Palmer was also quizzed on whether he'd be watching England's games. "If I'm not doing anything, then I'll watch the matches, yeah," he said.
As for his plans ahead of returning to Chelsea for pre-season training under incoming manager Xabi Alonso, Palmer is keeping things low-key. "I'm going to relax this summer, rest for the first time in 3 or 4 years, before getting back to what I love."
Palmer is fresh off his most difficult season since arriving at Chelsea, both in terms of goals scored and games played. Injury issues combined with the Blues' managerial carousel derailed his season - and he paid the price for his dip in form during a tournament year.
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Tuchel said of the ex-Manchester City starlet after announcing his squad: "I think he suffers from a lack of individual form within the club. He was not as decisive or as influential as he was in the last seasons, throughout the whole season.
"Second of all, he was not very influential with us. His record with us was just not outstanding, not good enough to make him 'no matter what, he is coming'.
"That is just the reality of it. He had to pull out injured several times, when he was in camp he did not have the impact that we all wanted to push him for."