Cole Palmer withdraws from England squad ahead of friendlies

Chelsea forward Cole Palmer has withdrawn from the England squad due to a muscle injury, just days after earning a recall from manager Thomas Tuchel.

Palmer was included in Tuchel's 27-man squad for England's opening UEFA Nations League fixtures after being left out of the Three Lions' 2026 World Cup squad. He had made a strong start to the new campaign, scoring four goals and providing two assists in seven appearances for Chelsea.

The 24-year-old played the full 90 minutes in Chelsea's 3-0 defeat to Brentford on Friday before the muscle issue forced him to pull out of international duty. Palmer's withdrawal is another setback after an injury-disrupted 2025/26 campaign, although he had recently said he felt physically stronger and back to his best.

The former Manchester City midfielder was left out of the England squad at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which was named by Thomas Tuchel following a poor performance for Chelsea.

England are scheduled to face Spain at Wembley on September 26, followed by matches against Czechia on September 29, Croatia on October 3 and Czechia again on October 6.

Read the  Latest Sports News Today and  Get Fresh updates as they drop via  X and  Instagram