Cole Palmer has been left out of Thomas Tuchel’s final England squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Just two years ago, Palmer was scoring in a European Championship final against Spain and looked certain to become one of the Three Lions' most important players.
Now, he will not even be on the plane to North America after Tuchel confirmed he hasn't included the 24-year-old in his plans for this summer.
And that says everything about how disappointing Palmer’s season at Chelsea has been after such huge expectations were placed on him at the start of the campaign.
However, despite the media frenzy surrounding Palmer's international exile, interestingly, many Chelsea supporters don't seem particularly bothered.
In fact, the majority appear to agree with Tuchel's decision to leave him out.
Chelsea fans agree with Cole Palmer's England omission
While some may feel aggrieved, including the player himself, a large portion of Chelsea fans reacting on Reddit actually appeared to understand why Tuchel made the call.
User MichaelBluth_ wrote: “I mean Palmer shouldn’t be there on merit, let’s be honest. Plus he can use this summer off.”
Another supporter, Kuf3n, said: “I think people are overreacting. Of course Palmer is not chosen, he has been completely off it for many months and the worst Chelsea player on the pitch for several games.”
Some others were more frustrated by some of the players selected ahead of him.
“What absolute clown picks Noni over Palmer,” user No-Nefariousness2459 posted.
But even among those disappointed by Palmer missing out, there still seemed to be acknowledgement that his performances this season simply had not reached the levels expected from him anymore.
“If you think Palmer should be called up you need to check your bias or football knowledge,” user, andrqz, added.
Perhaps the most interesting reaction came from MartialOrange04, who pointed out what needs to happens under Xabi Alonso.
“Palmer was horrible this season, hope he learns to control games more under Alonso," the supporter said.
That thought definitely captures the overall feeling surrounding Palmer right now. Next season will be massive for him.
Wake up call
Palmer’s failure to make England's World Cup squad is a major wake up call.
While there is still no doubting his talent, but this season exposed several weaknesses in his game, combined with his lack of confidence, resulted in a dire spell. There were too many matches where Palmer drifted out of games completely.
Alonso's impending arrival as new Chelsea manager will have one of two effects on Palmer. He'll either thrive under the Spaniard, or his time at Stamford Bridge could come to an abrupt end.
Missing this year's World Cup is not good for Palmer, but if he can take anything from it, it's that he has to up his game, and with the summer to fully rest, there can be no excuses next season.
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