Jamie Carragher is insistent that Thomas Tuchel should have included Chelsea’s Cole Palmer in his World Cup squad to get England over the line in the latter stages of the competition.
Tuchel has received praise from the likes of John Terry after he has shown a ruthlessness to his decision making when it comes to his first international tournament.
This was particularly noticeable when it came to the Chelsea squad. Only Reece James was selected, as Palmer and Levi Colwill were both left out of the side.
Has Cole Palmer been wronged? Or is it just deserved for his poor form?🤔
Jamie Carragher would have taken Chelsea’s Cole Palmer to the World Cup
Roy Keane believes Palmer only has himself to blame after struggling for form for most parts of the 2025/26 campaign.
Carragher still believes he should have been taken though, telling The Overlap that he has the class to provide a big moment late in the tournament.
He said: “I’d have still took Cole Palmer for me. I still think when I look at that squad, it lacks a bit of class.
“I think at that level of football, if you’re thinking of getting to a semi-final or final and that’s the point he’s been brought in to win it, Southgate got us so far. The whole point is you hire this guy, a Champions League winner to win it.
“Best manager in the world or you know Ancelotti is there as well. But I still think you need that bit of class in a big moment to do something and I just think has he gone too far with this.”
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Palmer’s omission is good news for Chelsea
The real benefactors of Palmer’s absence from the World Cup will be Chelsea, who should be welcoming a fit and fresh star man back to the squad when pre-season gets underway.
After participation at the U21 Euros, The European Championships and the Club World Cup, this will be Palmer’s first summer off since 2022.
He will have the chance to link up with Xabi Alonso straight away when the Spaniard takes over, allowing him the opportunity to quickly form a relationship with the new manager.
John Obi Mikel has already predicted Alonso will get the best out of Palmer, which could be seriously good news for the Blues as they look to rebuild next season.
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