Yesterday saw England manager Gareth Southgate name his final England squad of the year for the upcoming set of qualifiers.
Chelsea fans looking at the squad will have noticed two very obvious omissions, however these were for very different reasons.
Club captain Reece James was nowhere to be seen, however it soon emerged that this was down to him focusing on his fitness to be back to his best at club level.
Southgate claimed this has come at risk of relinquishing his place at Euro 2024, however Chelsea fans will be delighted with his decision.
The other absentee is Cole Palmer, who again came up in conversation during the manager’s post-announcement press conference.
He hinted that there is a lot of competition blocking the 21-year-old’s place in the squad, however today it emerged that one of those candidates has just pulled out of representing his nation.
Palmer should replace Maddison
James Maddison was forced off against Chelsea on Monday due to an injury he picked up just before half-time, with it unclear how long he was set to miss.
He was named in the England squad, however this morning it emerged that he was forced to pull out due to his concern.
Based on form right now, there is no better player to replace him right now than Palmer.
The Chelsea man has contributed to a goal in nearly every single game since he has started being a regular at Stamford Bridge.
He has established himself as the main creative force for the Blues, which is a big responsibility for someone who has only just joined his side.
Palmer will likely be representing the U21s during this time anyway, so there would be no extra harm to Chelsea fans if he was given the senior call up.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
