Tuchel leaves Palmer out again, says snub 'is not personal'

Thomas Tuchel has left Cole Palmer out of his England squad once again, naming his group for this month's Nations League fixtures against Croatia and Spain without the Chelsea forward.

The squad, announced on Friday, instead includes uncapped call-ups for Jobe Bellingham and Fulham's Josh King, with Tuchel preferring King's versatility across the front line to a recall for Palmer.

Tuchel was adamant the decision was not a personal slight. "Everyone is desperate to play for England and Cole is no exception," he said, before adding: "But we are speaking about a player who is not in camp and on the other hand it counts when you are in camp and I said it last time, he misses too many opportunities to impress."

He went further still, making clear that absence from camp carries a cost regardless of club form. "It's not personal and we will never assume Cole is not in the mindset to play for his country but the competition is on and the players from that camp keep their place," Tuchel said.

The exclusion follows a pattern. Palmer was left out of England's World Cup squad in the summer and then withdrew from the extended September and October international window because of injury, as reported by Metro Football. At the time, Tuchel described it as a "missed opportunity" and said the forward "misses way too many camps", with rivals for his position moving ahead of him as a result.

This time there is no injury excuse to point to. Palmer has played almost every minute of Chelsea's Premier League campaign so far this season, with the fitness problems that disrupted his previous year appearing to be behind him.

According to Yahoo Sports, Chelsea had told the national team this week that Palmer was fit and available when England staff made contact, underlining that his omission was a footballing judgement rather than a precaution over his condition.

Tuchel pointed to the strength of competition in the number 10 role as a further factor, with Morgan Rogers and Morgan Gibbs-White also pushing for the position. "It is enough no10s [in the squad] and we stick with guys who were in camp because camp was excellent for the two-and-a-half weeks we had together," he said.

He credited the group assembled during that extended autumn window for the decision to stand by largely the same attacking options. "The impact of other players was immense and that's why we stick with the group and all the offensive players," Tuchel said, before explaining King's inclusion specifically. "We have Josh King in there but I also want to see him on both wings, he can play all four positions, that is basically the reason."

The squad named for the double header features Jordan Pickford, James Trafford and Jason Steele in goal, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarrad Branthwaite and Ezri Konsa among those selected in defence.

Jude Bellingham is joined in midfield by his younger brother Jobe for the first time at senior level, while Harry Kane, Anthony Gordon and Dominic Calvert-Lewin lead the forward options alongside Rogers and Gibbs-White.

England face Croatia next Thursday before travelling to Spain the following Sunday in their latest round of Nations League fixtures.

Palmer has not featured for the senior side since March, and Tuchel's comments suggest a recall will depend less on club form than on a return to the camp environment he says has shaped his current selection.