England ace says he’s up against Cole Palmer for World Cup spot, there’s only going to be one winner

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Chelsea star Cole Palmer is one England player who will be hoping to travel to next year’s World Cup.

Palmer has been suffering from an injury, so the attacking midfielder missed England’s recent wins against Albania and Serbia.

In fact, Palmer has not played for the Three Lions since the summer, which has not helped the 23-year-old’s chances of earning a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the World Cup.

Another England player is now ready to go head-to-head with Palmer for a seat on the plane in 2026.

• READ MORE: Alan Pardew doesn’t agree with Cole Palmer decision he expects Thomas Tuchel to make at World Cup

Jarrod Bowen acknowledges he’s in a fight with Chelsea star Cole Palmer

With Palmer also able to play on the right, West Ham United forward Jarrod Bowen believes that the Chelsea attacker is one player he is competing against for a spot in England’s World Cup squad.

“What I’m up against is Bukayo [Saka], Noni [Madueke] is injured for this camp, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden can all play there — you’re talking about world-class, elite players and I’m in the same category as them,” Bowen was quoted as saying by The Independent.

One player who is almost certain to be included in Tuchel’s squad next summer is Palmer’s Chelsea teammate Reece James.

James is very likely to be England’s right-back at the World Cup after impressing for both club and country this season.

Thomas Tuchel will take Cole Palmer to World Cup

Palmer is one of the best footballers in the Premier League. As long as he performs between now and the end of the campaign, you would still expect Tuchel to take him to the World Cup, even despite his lack of minutes for England recently.

Bowen is also a very good forward and his numbers were quite similar to Palmer’s last season. The 28-year-old nearly matched his England rival for goal contributions despite playing fewer minutes.

If it is a straight shoot-out between the West Ham captain and Palmer, though, the latter still wins all day.

Palmer has done it on the biggest stage, scoring two goals in the Club World Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain, while he also netted in last year’s European Championship final between England and Spain.

There may not be a more clutch player in the Premier League right now. That alone makes him an individual perfect for tournament football.