England manager Thomas Tuchel has been accused by Chelsea fans of not liking Cole Palmer after he left the attacking midfielder out of his latest squad while including Jobe Bellingham. The 21-year-old Bellingham was a surprise inclusion, prompting questions over the decision, particularly with Palmer omitted.
England had conducted medical checks on Palmer and were informed he was fit to feature, but the Three Lions boss decided against recalling him. The decision has sparked criticism from supporters on social media, with some believing Tuchel has an issue with Palmer.
Fan Backlash and Theories
Numerous supporters have blasted Tuchel online. One X user wrote: "Why do tuchel hates Palmer so much? No wonder he's not winning anything without him." Another added: "How did Tuchel pick Jobe with 0 goals and King with just 2 goals over Palmer."
A third claimed: "Tuchel was clueless in the semi against Arg, a match we threw away, and he's clueless again today. Punishment for Palmer? O'Reilly out? Keeping Jude sweet? This is not a serious manager." Another social media account stated: "It's obvious that Tuchel has got a problem selecting Palmer. The lad has been playing well and the stats prove it. England loss, Chelsea gain."
Tuchel's Explanation
Despite the theories, Tuchel has explained why Palmer was left out. He said: "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 was a long camp, it was two and a half weeks and the players and the boys who were in camp built something extraordinary."
He added: "That's why the credit goes to them, the trust is for them. If you are in camp, this is your chance to impress. So it's not personal and of course we will never assume that Cole is not in the mindset to come and desperate to play for his country, but the competition is on and the players who were in camp did an amazing job and kept their place."
Bellingham's Inclusion
Jobe is one of the new arrivals, with Tuchel revealing that Lee Carsley, England's under-21s manager, has been pushing for the Borussia Dortmund star to be given a chance. He said: "Lee Carsley has been talking highly about Jobe for weeks and months that he deserves [a chance], if there is a spot to make an impression."
