Cole Palmer Pulls Out of England Duty After Muscle Injury
Chelsea forward Cole Palmer has withdrawn from England’s squad for the opening four matches of the 2026–27 UEFA Nations League after sustaining a muscle injury, Sky Sports has reported. The 24-year-old was recalled by manager Thomas Tuchel on Friday, September 18, following his omission from England’s 2026 World Cup squad. However, he will now miss the September and October international fixtures, including the Three Lions’ opening Group A3 encounter against newly crowned world champions Spain at Wembley on Saturday, September 26. Palmer featured for the full 90 minutes in Chelsea’s 3–0 Premier League defeat to Brentford on the same day he was named in Tuchel’s 27-man squad.
The setback comes after Palmer made a promising start to the new campaign, recording four goals and two assists in seven appearances for Chelsea, according to Sky Sports. His withdrawal is also another setback following an injury-affected 2025–26 season that contributed to his absence from the World Cup squad. Tuchel had explained that Palmer’s improved statistics and decisive performances earned him a recall, while the player recently said he felt physically stronger and was working to remain injury-free. Chelsea confirmed that Palmer would instead concentrate on his fitness at Cobham. England are scheduled to face Czechia in Prague on September 29, Croatia in Rijeka on October 3 and Czechia again at Wembley on October 6, leaving Tuchel to reassess his attacking options for the Nations League campaign.
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