Cole Palmer withdraws from England squad with muscle injury

A late withdrawal

According to Sky Sports, Cole Palmer is withdrawing from the England squad due to a muscle injury. The move affects his availability ahead of a long international break.

The report also notes that Palmer had returned to action for the Three Lions after being recalled for Nations League games against Spain, the Czech Republic and Croatia. Prior to the international call, he played the full 90 minutes in Chelsea’s defeat to Brentford.

Back to his best

Sky Sports says Palmer, who was left out of England’s World Cup squad in the summer, has looked like himself again since then. This season he has contributed four goals and two assists in seven appearances for the Blues.

It further recalls that, speaking to Sky Sports earlier, Palmer felt physically he was in a good place, saying he was “probably the best I’ve felt in ages” while still needing games and more minutes to be fully match-fitter. He also described the dilemma around playing through fitness concerns because of the upcoming World Cup.

With this withdrawal, the key question now is how serious the muscle problem is and who will replace him in the England setup.