Cole Palmer has withdrawn from England duty after picking up an injury. Per Matt Law of the Telegraph, Palmer is believed to have muscle fatigue, but Chelsea are keeping quiet.
They haven’t disclosed the nature of his injury, but Chelsea aren’t expecting Palmer to be sidelined for long. The 22-year-old will be handed a rest during the international break, with a view to retuning when the campaign resumes.
England travel to the Aviva Stadium to face Ireland in the Nations League on Saturday, but they have absentees. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) and Phil Foden (Man City) have been ruled out of the clash due to ‘ongoing issues’.
The official statement from England read: “Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins and Phil Foden will play no part in England’s forthcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures.
“The Three Lions squad reported to St. George’s Park on Tuesday but, following assessment, both Palmer and Watkins returned to their clubs to continue rehabilitation for ongoing issues.”
It’s a blow for the Three Lions and also Chelsea as Palmer has started the season on fire. He boasts one goal and four assists from his first three Premier League games, so he’ll be a big loss.
Palmer scored 22 goals with 11 assists from 33 league outings last season. Enzo Maresca will struggle to replace him if he’s out. Palmer is coming off the back of a fantastic year for club and country, but fixtures have taken their toll. He reportedly had muscle fatigue flagged up and will now be rested before returning to training.
Maresca will hope Palmer is okay, but he won’t be too sad about him resting. The 22-year-old is Chelsea’s best player, so he will need his minutes managed to limit any injuries. It does appear his withdrawal from the squad is more precautionary than serious, so he should return soon.
Chelsea next league game is a trip to face Bournemouth on Saturday, September 14.
In other news, Ben Chilwell is ‘not rushing’ to leave Chelsea despite his first-team axe
