Cole Palmer will miss England‘s trip to Prague to face Czechia in the UEFA Nations League after withdrawing from Thomas Tuchel’s squad with a muscle injury, ruling him out for this entire four-game international break.
The Chelsea forward had actually been recalled by Tuchel after missing this summer’s World Cup, but pulled himself out following the club’s defeat to Brentford, in which he played the full 90 minutes.
Palmer had been in strong form heading into the squad announcement, with four goals and two assists across all competitions this season under new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso.
Palmer’s absence leaves Tuchel to lean on reinforcements like James Garner and Morgan Gibbs-White, who were called up to help offset a squad already thinned by other withdrawals including Declan Rice, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Tino Livramento.
England chases its first win of the tournament
England enters this one still searching for its first win of the Nations League campaign after falling 3-2 to Spain at Wembley in the opener, a result that saw the Three Lions blow a two-goal cushion in the second half. A win in Prague would go a long way toward steadying the ship early in this new cycle under Tuchel.
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Cole Palmer’s injury withdrawals frustrate Thomas Tuchel ahead of England clash vs Spain
Czechia, for its part, is coming off its own opening loss to Croatia, meaning both sides will be desperate to avoid starting the campaign 0-2. With England still adjusting to a squad missing several key faces, this match carries real weight for Tuchel as he looks to build momentum before facing Croatia and Czechia again later in the window.
