Cole Palmer’s England absences remain a concern for Thomas Tuchel after Spain defeat

Thomas Tuchel’s warning over Cole Palmer’s limited availability for England remains pertinent after the Three Lions began their Nations League campaign with a 3-2 defeat by Spain.

England led 2-1 at half-time at Wembley on Saturday after recovering from Lamine Yamal’s early opener. Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane put the hosts ahead, but Spain turned the match around after the break through Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal.

Palmer did not feature after withdrawing from Tuchel’s squad with an injury. The Chelsea forward had initially been recalled following an impressive start to the season, but his latest setback denied him another chance to establish himself under the England manager.

The 24-year-old has made only three appearances for England since Tuchel took charge and has repeatedly been affected by fitness problems. He was also omitted from Tuchel’s World Cup squad after struggling with injuries.

“He misses too many opportunities,” Tuchel said. “I don’t blame him for it. It’s just the fact.”

Tuchel said players needed to be present at international camps to show him their qualities first-hand.

“I only want to rely on what I personally witness and see within my team,” he added. “For that, you have to be in camp.”

Palmer had completed 90 minutes for Chelsea against Brentford before the international break, leading to questions about whether his workload had been managed. Tuchel dismissed that suggestion, saying Palmer had been playing through pain and discomfort and was unable to perform at his best.

Chelsea subsequently told England about the situation.

The latest withdrawal follows several other interruptions to Palmer’s international career since Tuchel became manager. He pulled out of an England camp in 2025, missed a number of subsequent selections and later returned to play against Uruguay and Japan.

His absence means he has missed another opportunity to work with Tuchel, although the manager has not automatically viewed his repeated unavailability as a sign of a lack of commitment. However, regular fitness and presence with the squad will be important if Palmer is to strengthen his position with England.

Tuchel has alternative attacking options, including Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, as England prepare for their next Nations League match against Czechia in Prague on Tuesday.

Czechia also lost their opening fixture, suffering a 2-1 defeat by Croatia, meaning England will be seeking a positive response after their loss to Spain.

With England due to face Czechia, Croatia and another Czechia fixture in quick succession, Tuchel must continue developing his team without one of Chelsea’s most influential attacking players.

For Palmer, the immediate priority is to recover from his latest injury and return to full fitness.