THOMAS TUCHEL is set to be without Cole Palmer for his first England training camp.
Chelsea‘s maverick forward has scored 14 goals this season despite a recent downturn in form, but will have to miss Tuchel’s managerial debut.
England will face Albania and Latvia in the upcoming international break.
Palmer was not in the squad as Chelsea lost 1-0 away to Arsenal today, with Tuchel calling up Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White as his replacement.
Gibbs-White has two England caps under his belt already and has played a key role in Forest’s push for Champions League qualification this season.
The 25-year-old’s debut came under Lee Carsley last September in a 0-2 away win over Ireland, bagging an assist in his second match against Greece.
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Enzo Maresca confirmed after the match that Palmer sustained a muscular injury in training on Friday.
He said: “I don’t think [he will be fit for England] to be honest.
“His injury is from yesterday’s session. It’s a muscular problem.
“He needs a scan and the scan is planned for Monday morning.”
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Palmer played through illness against Leicester last week, with Maresca confirming he had suffered from fever and diarrhoea prematch.
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He has scored five times and assisted seven in 25 league appearances this year.
Gareth Southgate named Palmer to the Three Lions’ squad for EURO2024 but gave him few playing opportunies.
When Palmer did play, he bagged an equaliser from range against Spain in the final, which England ultimately lost.
The news comes at the worst possible time for Chelsea, whose attack is already stretched thin by injuries.
Nicolas Jackson, Noni Madueke, and Marc Guiu are all working through long-term injuries, with Jadon Sancho, Christopher Nkunku, and Pedro Neto struggling to pick up the pieces.
Chelsea remain in fourth place after the loss to Arsenal, but are now just one point ahead of Manchester City and two clear of sixth-placed Newcastle, who have a game in hand.
Tuchel managed Chelsea before Palmer was signed, winning the Champions League in 2021 while dealing with sanctions imposed on the club due to Roman Abramovic’s links to the war in Ukraine.
Palmer has been a sensation since moving to Chelsea, scoring 25 goals in 45 appearances in his debut season.
