Alonso says Chelsea focus remains on Palmer despite England omission

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso says Cole Palmer’s omission from the latest England squad has not been discussed at the club, with attention instead fixed on Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Sunderland.

Thomas Tuchel left Palmer out after the player missed several previous England camps. Asked whether he had spoken to Palmer about the decision, Alonso said: “We have not spoken about it. All our focus has been on our upcoming match on Sunday.

“We are very happy with what Cole is doing. We can see that he is enjoying his work and combining very well with the other attacking players. He is helping the team develop and improve as we work towards our objectives, while understanding that everything takes time. I am very pleased with his quality, his mentality and the positive influence he has on his team-mates.”

Chelsea, fourth in the table on 16 points, are eight points behind leaders Arsenal before the game against Sunderland on 08 November 2026.

Alonso also rejected the idea that he regretted Palmer’s absence from the previous international camp or that the player’s desire to represent England had been a subject of discussion.

“We have not gone into those details,” he said. “We play our matches and focus only on Chelsea, on improving our performances and helping him have a greater impact in games. We only speak about Chelsea. We have enough work to do at the club, and we have to concentrate on every weekend. That is the area where I can have an influence and speak with authority.”

Palmer was also sent off after Chelsea’s match against Tottenham, but Alonso said the midfielder now needed to concentrate on his football.

“He needs to focus on playing good football and enjoying playing for Chelsea,” he added. “We have already spoken about the red card after the Tottenham game, but most of everything else is about the match, football and how we can perform at our best.”

Chelsea injury updates

Alonso said he had never asked players to withdraw from international duty, insisting decisions should be made according to their fitness.

“When a player is fully fit, he is available for selection. When he is not ready, we try to provide the national team’s medical staff with the right information and decide together,” he said.

“Sometimes a call-up may not be in the player’s best interests. Anselmino, for example, was called up by Argentina after training better over the past 10 days. It is very important for him to receive his first call-up, and the same applies to the other players.”

Moises Caicedo is among those due to undergo medical checks after experiencing minor discomfort following the last match.

“It is more a feeling of discomfort than a direct calf injury,” Alonso said.

Maxence Lacroix and Joao Pedro are not expected to play in tomorrow’s game. Alonso said their recovery would be assessed over the two-week international break, with a further update before the meeting with Leeds.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez will face a final fitness decision after Sunday’s last training session.

“He is training very well and has worked extremely hard to be ready to return,” Alonso said. “His return has come ahead of the expected schedule, and tomorrow we will carry out the final assessment before making the decision on Sunday.”