Thomas Tuchel made headlines with his decision to not select Chelsea superstar Cole Palmer for England’s World Cup squad, although is surely already regretting that big decision.
Two years on from when Palmer scored for the Three Lions in the European Championship final, he has missed out on the squad altogether for what would have been his first World Cup.
Jamie Carragher believes Tuchel has made a mistake not taking the Blues man, even though his form in the 2025/26 season did not meet the high expectations he has set.
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Bukayo Saka’s injury woes will have left Thomas Tuchel regretting not picking Cole Palmer
The England boss admitted that the brilliance of Arsenal impacted his decision making, swaying him to choose both Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke for his attacking options on the right.
However, before the tournament has even got underway, there are injury concerns for the Three Lions to worry about.
Tuchel told The Athletic that Saka is still getting to full fitness after playing the latter stages of the season with discomfort.
He said: “Bukayo is still getting there, playing through discomfort at the end of the season, but obviously playing at a high level, but still not at 100%.”
This could leave England having to rely on Madueke from the start, an option which many supporters would not see as optimum ahead of a tough game against Croatia.
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- Reece James
- Cole Palmer
- Joao Pedro
- Estevao Willian
- Moises Caicedo
- Josh Acheampong
- Levi Colwill
Palmer spent a lot of the final games of the 2025/26 season playing off the right, including the FA Cup final against Manchester City.
During this game, he showed his defensive abilities to deal with the City attack, something which could be crucial when under pressure on the international stage.
Palmer would have been the perfect option to have available for Tuchel for this eventuality, given he has a strong relationship already with Reece James down that side.
James is set to be a key player in what will be his debut World Cup campaign this summer, however will be quickly searching to find some of his old partnership with Madueke if Saka is not fit to start.
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