Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has responded to Thomas Tuchel’s decision to leave Cole Palmer out of England’s squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures.
The Spanish tactician revealed that he has not discussed the omission with Palmer, stressing that his priority is ensuring the forward remains focused on his performances for Chelsea.
Alonso addressed the issue during his pre-match press conference on Friday ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League trip to Sunderland on Sunday.
Tuchel omitted the 24-year-old from his 26-man squad for England’s Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain next week, despite Chelsea informing the national team that the player was fit and available for selection.
Palmer has featured in all nine of Chelsea’s Premier League matches this season, recording five goals and three assists in 11 appearances across all competitions.
Asked whether he had spoken with the forward about his exclusion from the England squad, Alonso said, “No, we have not spoken about that. We have been talking about our game on Sunday. We are very happy with Cole; I think that he’s enjoying his game. He’s connecting very well with the other attackers. He’s helping the team.
“He’s helping the team as well in developing and improving what we want and where we want to achieve, knowing that everything takes time, but I’m very happy with his quality, with his attitude, and the impact that he’s having on the rest of the team.”
Meanwhile, Tuchel explained his decision to exclude Palmer when announcing the England squad on Friday morning, claiming the Chelsea forward “misses too many opportunities to impress”.
The England manager also pointed to the availability of several attacking midfielders, including Morgan Gibbs-White, Eberechi Eze, Jude Bellingham and Chelsea’s Morgan Rogers, as part of his selection considerations.
Palmer’s omission comes after a challenging period in front of goal, with the forward sent off during Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham in October. He has also failed to score from open play in the Premier League since August.
