‘Not My Decision’—Enzo Maresca Sends Cole Palmer Plea to England’s Thomas Tuchel

Palmer will spend the next three weeks on the sidelines with a groin issue.

Cole Palmer is facing another spell on the sidelines. / Danilo Di Giovanni/Getty Images

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has urged England counterpart Thomas Tuchel to leave Cole Palmer out of his upcoming squad to aid his recovery from a groin problem.

The Blues are doing all they can to prevent Palmer from needing to undergo surgery on the issue, which forced him to miss two games earlier this season and sent him back to the sidelines after a setback just three games into his return.

Maresca has confirmed Palmer will be rested for the next three weeks, not necessarily because of the severity of the injury, but rather as part of a plan to avoid making things worse for the silky playmaker.

Perhaps complicating things for Maresca will be Tuchel’s upcoming England selection. The Three Lions boss singled him out for praise when he took the job in late 2024 but has only seen 65 minutes of action from Palmer, who missed March’s camp with a hamstring injury before this groin issue cost him a spot in September’s squad.

Palmer has featured just once for England under Thomas Tuchel. / Judit Cartiel/Getty Images

Tuchel will want to take a closer look at Palmer as he prepares to name his final squad for next summer’s World Cup, but Maresca hopes to see his star midfielder left on the sidelines once again.

Asked whether he expects Palmer to miss England duty, Maresca said: “I think so, but it is not my job to say that.

“If he is already out and is not going to play three games for us... but it is not my decision. It’s a decision for the international team.”

Chelsea have a surprisingly strong record without Palmer in their starting lineup, while they have won all three games this season in which Palmer was unavailable. That record will be tested on Saturday, however, with a visit from Brighton & Hove Albion.

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