Chelsea midfielder, Morgan Rogers, has dismissed suggestions that Cole Palmer is reluctant to represent England, insisting that his teammate remains eager to play for his country despite his recent absence from the national team.
Rogers described the claims questioning Palmer’s commitment as a “lie” and “nonsense” following England’s 2-1 victory over Croatia in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday.
The 24-year-old midfielder scored England’s opening goal before captain Harry Kane converted a penalty to secure victory on his record-breaking 126th appearance for the Three Lions.
Palmer was not included in Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad after the England manager indicated that the forward had missed several opportunities to make an impression.
The Chelsea attacker also missed England’s previous World Cup squad after withdrawing from the September international camp over a minor injury.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live after the Croatia game, Rogers maintained that Palmer had never lost his desire to represent England.
“He wants to be here. He wanted to get called up and he wanted to come and represent his country as he always has done,” Rogers said.
He explained that Palmer had experienced injury problems over the past year, which affected his ability to perform at full fitness.
Rogers added that his teammate needed to manage his physical condition carefully to sustain his career.
The midfielder stressed that Palmer’s efforts to protect his fitness should not be mistaken for a lack of commitment to the national team.
“It has nothing to do with England or not wanting to play with England. It’s a nonsense really that people are questioning someone that wants to play for England. It’s a lie,” he added.
Palmer has made 14 appearances for England since his international debut three years ago, scoring twice and providing one assist.
His first international goal came in the Euro 2024 final against Spain, where he scored England’s equaliser before the Three Lions suffered a 2-1 defeat.
At club level, the forward has established himself as one of the Premier League’s outstanding attacking players, registering 50 goals and 24 assists in the competition.
His performances also earned him the England Men’s Player of the Year award for the 2023-24 season.
However, Palmer has featured in only three of Tuchel’s 27 matches since the German replaced Gareth Southgate as England manager.
Tuchel has maintained that the Chelsea forward remains part of his plans but pointed to the intense competition for attacking positions as a reason for his recent omissions.
“We have enough number 10s and we stick to the guys who were in the previous camp because we were happy with the two and a half weeks we had together,” Tuchel said.
The German also rejected the suggestion that Palmer’s absence reflected doubts about his willingness to play for England, insisting that selection depended on the competition within the squad and players making the most of their opportunities.
“It’s not personal. We will never assume Cole is in the mindset never to come to the camp. Cole is always in our mindset but the competition is on,” Tuchel added.
Palmer’s return to the England setup will depend on his fitness and ability to convince Tuchel that he deserves a place amid the competition for attacking positions.
