Chelsea forward Cole Palmer is set to withdraw from England’s squad for the upcoming Nations League matches because of a minor injury, leaving him unavailable for an extended international break in which the Three Lions play four games.
The 24-year-old had been recalled by England manager Thomas Tuchel, having been controversially left out of the squad for the World Cup. Tuchel had previously said Palmer had “a point to prove” and needed “to step up” in order to “keep his shirt and justify the nomination”.
Should the withdrawal be confirmed, Palmer would miss the whole of the international window. England face World Cup winners Spain at Wembley on Saturday, 26 September, then travel to the Czech Republic on 29 September and to Croatia on 3 October, before hosting the Czechs on 6 October.
The setback comes after Palmer played the full game for Chelsea in their 3-0 defeat at Brentford on Friday. Following a summer off after missing out on World Cup selection, he has started six of Chelsea’s seven matches this season and played the full 90 minutes in five of them.
Palmer was hampered by a recurring groin injury in 2025-26, an issue that former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca – now in charge at Manchester City – said did not make sense. Palmer’s most recent appearance for England came in a 1-0 friendly defeat by Japan in March.