Chelsea star Cole Palmer has been accused of ‘faking’ an injury to miss out on playing for England during this international break.
Injuries derailed Palmer during the 2025/26 campaign as he was not included in England’s squad for this summer’s World Cup.
However, the Chelsea star has returned to form and fitness at the start of this campaign and was initially included in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for this international break.
However, Palmer has since withdrawn due to ‘load management’, and former Premier League defender James Chester has argued that he is ‘faking’ an injury because he has “the hump” with Tuchel.
“I would say that Cole Palmer had got the hump,” Chester said on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.
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“That’s what it looks like to me…”
“He’s got the hump that he didn’t go to the World Cup, and he’s pulled out of the England squad. That’s my opinion.
“I don’t know the lad, but from an ex-player point of view, I think he’s got the hump.
“It sounds to me as an ex-player that he’s gone to the fitness coach at Chelsea and said, ‘really, I don’t fancy it, just say something’.
“It might not be that, but I’ve played the game, and that’s what it looks like to me.”
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A report from Football Insider, meanwhile, claims to have ‘revealed’ Chelsea and Xabi Alonso’s ‘plan’ after Palmer’s withdrawal, with Everton chief executive Keith Wyness claiming there has been a “calculated gamble”.
“Yes, I think it is (Alonso). It’s club influence definitely. Last year, Palmer wasn’t really in great form, but he does seem to have started off the season pretty strong,” Wyness told Football Insider.
“I’m sure they’ve weighed it all up, and they’ve decided, ‘We won’t get into these pretty meaningless games coming up and, then, when the big ones come up, we’ll make ourselves available’. And he will probably be picked.
“Tuchel has some experience of Palmer at some stage personally, so I don’t think there’ll be an issue with Palmer putting his hand up and saying that he’s available for selection later on.
“Certain England games are going to be pick and choose now for players like Palmer. And that’s where they’ve got to be informed. The minute they drop out of form, then that will count against them in terms of coming back in. It’s a calculated gamble.
“But also, there’ll be a lot of clauses in there about appearances for England.”
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