Cole Palmer left out of England squad as Xabi Alonso stays relaxed

Saturday 7 November 2026 · 19:00 UK time

Cole Palmer has been omitted from Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the upcoming Nations League games against Croatia and Spain, a decision that has sparked plenty of debate but a calm response from Chelsea.

Sports Mole reports that Tuchel himself addressed the "desperate" situation around leaving out the Chelsea star, explaining his reasoning for the call ahead of the November international break (Sports Mole). The Evening Standard confirms the timeline, noting the snub was announced on Friday morning, with Xabi Alonso revealing that "we have not spoken" when asked whether he'd discussed the matter with Palmer directly (Evening Standard).

As for how the Chelsea boss feels about it, ESPN reports Alonso says he's "very happy" with Palmer and has no time to spend worrying about international call-ups for his players, choosing instead to focus purely on his own squad (ESPN). That relaxed stance is echoed by Football.London, who frame the omission as something of a blessing in disguise, pointing out that while Palmer misses out on the chance to help England in their Nations League knockout push, he will instead get some much-needed rest over the break (Football.London).

Football.London also detail a fuller press conference from Alonso, where the Palmer topic was just one of several subjects covered. The Spaniard also touched on the potential return of Emiliano Martinez and the 'little problems' affecting Moises Caicedo, all discussed ahead of Chelsea's next fixture (Football.London). That same report adds that Palmer will be among five Chelsea players down for extra training during the international window, which Alonso will see as a useful boost given the fixture list ahead.

Taken together, the picture from all the outlets is consistent: Palmer's absence from the England squad has raised eyebrows externally, but at Cobham it is being treated as an opportunity rather than a setback. With Chelsea fans well aware of how hectic the fixture calendar gets, the chance for their talisman to recharge before the trip to Sunderland will likely be seen as no bad thing at all.

For Chelsea supporters, the key takeaway is that Palmer should be fresh and firmly in Alonso's plans, with the manager keen to stress there's no rift or concern on the club's side - just a focus on having their best players ready for the games that matter most to Chelsea.

Written with the help of AI, using the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.