Morgan Rogers has dismissed suggestions that his Chelsea teammate Cole Palmer lacks commitment to the England national team, calling the claims "a lie."
Rogers scored as the Three Lions beat Croatia at Wembley, setting up a Nations League group decider against Spain on Sunday. However, Thomas Tuchel's squad will travel to Madrid without Palmer, who was a notable omission for the final fixtures of 2026.
Palmer's England Absence
Since Tuchel succeeded Gareth Southgate in 2024, Palmer has featured just three times for England. After a patchy spell of form for Chelsea, he also missed out on the World Cup squad.
He was named in Tuchel's first squad after that but pulled out, despite having played in every Chelsea league game up to that point. Speaking after leaving him out this time, Tuchel suggested Palmer "misses too many opportunities to impress."
Rogers Defends His Teammate
In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, Rogers said: "He wants to be here. He wanted to get called up and he wanted to come and represent his country as he always has done."
"He was in quite a low place with his injuries last year and didn't feel 100% himself on the pitch, so he wants to be here and he wants to be the best version of himself."
"But he also has to look at his body. He wants to play for 10 or 15 years, he also has to manage himself. If he has to manage himself in the short term for the greater good then he has to do that and you have to fully support it."
"It has nothing to do with England or not wanting to play with England. It's a nonsense really that people are questioning someone that wants to play for England. It's a lie."
"You see the joy and smile on his face, how much he loves the game, so I honestly don't get it and he doesn't get it."
Tuchel's Reasoning
As well as hinting at Palmer's previous absence, Tuchel also stated there were enough players in his position and that he was remaining loyal to those he selected last month.
He said: "We have enough number 10s and we stick to the guys who were in the previous camp because we were happy with the two and a half weeks we had together."
"I guess everyone is desperate to play for England and Cole is no exception."
"We are speaking now about a player that is not in camp. It counts when you are in camp and I just said last time that he misses too many opportunities to impress."
"It's not personal. We will never assume Cole is in the mindset never to come to the camp. Cole is always in our mindset but the competition is on."
