Cole Palmer is looking to use his omission from England’s World Cup squad as fuel ahead of Chelsea’s 2026-27 campaign.
Palmer missed out on the Three Lions’ 26-man travelling party for this summer’s World Cup after enduring an injury-hit 2025-26 season for Chelsea.
The 24-year-old managed just 34 appearances across all competitions following groin, hamstring and thigh injuries, but he was still able to register 11 goals and three assists.
However, his contributions were not deemed worthy of a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s squad, with the likes of Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke all preferred.
It was one of the standout decisions made by Tuchel, given only Erling Haaland (92), Mohamed Salah (89) and Ollie Watkins (75) have registered more direct Premier League goal involvements than Palmer’s 67 since he moved to Stamford Bridge in 2023.
England were able to perform in his absence, reaching the semi-finals before losing out to Argentina, then recording their best finish in the competition since 1966 by finishing third after beating France 6-4 in the bronze medal match.
Palmer is now preparing for his fourth season at Chelsea, and he is aiming to prove Tuchel wrong by hitting the ground running under new boss Xabi Alonso.
“Yes, naturally it’s going to. It’s like anything,” Palmer said when asked if missing out on England’s squad had given him extra motivation.
“If someone tells you that you’re essentially not good enough to get in the squad, then you’re going to think, ‘All right then, I’m going to try to go that extra bit harder.'”
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Tuchel’s decision to leave Palmer at home did, however, allow the Chelsea star an extended summer break for the first time in four years, having been involved in England’s run to the European Championship final in 2024, when he scored in a 2-1 defeat to Spain in the showpiece match.
Chelsea begin their campaign at home to London rivals Fulham on August 24, and Palmer is raring to go, having got over his recent struggles with injury.
“My summer was great,” he added. “I had like seven weeks off, which I have never really had. It was good. I went on holiday with my family. I feel fresh.
“I did not really know how to deal with it [his injury last season]. The first few months, with me being injured, I just wanted to go out and play, which I probably shouldn’t have done.
“Obviously, I could not play how I wanted to play. It was a bad season personally with injuries and stuff, but I feel good now. The seven weeks obviously helped.
“Was surgery an option? Yeah, I went to Sweden or Denmark, one of those countries, to see a doctor. We did speak about it. But I did not end up getting it.
“When I got told I was not going to the World Cup, I think he [Alonso] knew, so he messaged me. I think he said ‘don’t worry about it’, normal stuff. It was nice.”
Palmer has also played a part in Chelsea’s summer transfer business by helping Morgan Rogers complete his record-breaking £117m move from Aston Villa earlier this summer.
Rogers and Palmer have a close relationship having spent time together at the Manchester City academy, though comparisons have been drawn between the pair because of their celebrations.
Palmer has since trademarked the ‘cold’ celebration when it comes to commercial ventures, and he shared a joke about whether Rogers will perform it at Chelsea.
“We have not spoken about it. It is one of them. He does it. I do it. I have trademarked it so if he tries to do anything, he will have the bailiffs at his door,” Palmer said.
“We will do it together, I think. Everyone knows how good he is. Obviously, he’s one of my best friends, so I’m very happy about it.”
