Revealed: Cole Palmer ‘Disappointed’ At England Snub

The manager of Chelsea, Mauricio Pochettino, has stated that Cole Palmer, who is totally healthy, is “disappointed” that Gareth Southgate did not include him.

With 11 goals and eight assists in the Premier League this season, the 21-year-old midfielder for Chelsea has been in excellent form. He received a call-up from England for the friendly versus Belgium and Brazil. Palmer’s dreams of making an impression on the world stage were, however, shattered when he suffered an injury that prevented him from playing in the 1-0 loss to Brazil and forced him to warm the bench for Tuesday’s 2-2 draw between England and the Rode Duivels.

READ ALSO: Palmer Explains Decision To Leave Man City For Chelsea, Says Transfer Has ‘Paid Off’

Speaking about Palmer’s disappointment, Pochettino acknowledged the midfielder’s frustration at being unable to represent his country on the field.

“I was talking with him, yes, he’s a little bit disappointed because he could not play with the national team,” the Argentine manager told reporters. “I think the first game he had a small problem, I think he thought he could play in the second game against Belgium but he didn’t play.”

Pochettino is sure Palmer will be available for Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League fixture against Burnley, saying: “Now he’s okay, he’s training well. Still one more training session tomorrow [Friday], but I think the plan is if he follows tomorrow in the same way I think he will be available for the game on Saturday.”

Palmer missed the two international friendlies, but Southgate promised that if he keeps up his current level of play for his club, he will still be considered for a place in the squad for the forthcoming Euros.

“I said when I named the squad there is competition for places in those wide areas,” Southgate said. “A bit of a shame that Cole Palmer missed so much training that we weren’t able to put him into the game [against Belgium] at the stage it was having missed most of the week. We weren’t 100 per cent certain what we would get whereas with [Anthony] Gordon we knew and with [James] Maddison we knew. I wouldn’t rule Cole out of that equation.”

Palmer will try to establish a strong reputation for himself ahead of the Euro 2024 by continuing to demonstrate his abilities at Stamford Bridge towards the end of the season. The former Manchester City star will be keen to swiftly regain his rhythm following a temporary hiatus from competitive football as the Blues’ fixtures continue to come thick and fast.