Xabi Alonso breaks silence on Cole Palmer’s England squad omission

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has distanced himself from Cole Palmer’s ongoing England situation, insisting his priority is preparing the club for their upcoming fixtures. Palmer was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad on Friday, November 6, after missing previous international opportunities through injury and workload management.

The 24-year-old has recorded five goals and three assists in 11 appearances for Chelsea this season, but his absence from the national team has raised questions about his relationship with Tuchel.

According to Sports Mole, Alonso was asked whether he had discussed Palmer’s latest omission with the midfielder but suggested the matter had not featured in their conversations. “No. We have not spoken about that. We have been talking about our game on Sunday,” the Spaniard said.

Asked whether Palmer regretted withdrawing from the previous England camp, Alonso added: “We haven’t spoken about that.

“We are focussed on our things, on Chelsea things and how to do better and how to help him and how he can become more and more influential on the game. Those are our topics to talk.”

Alonso was pressed further on the issue but maintained his position, saying: “We speak about Chelsea. We have enough on our plate. My impact area is my control area and what we talk about.”

Meanwhile, Tuchel has suggested Palmer’s missed opportunities to impress have contributed to his latest omission, although the England manager has not ruled out the Chelsea forward’s return to the squad.