Xabi Alonso insists Cole Palmer is committed to England following criticism from Thomas Tuchel – but spoke of the importance of the Chelsea star being fit enough to play.
Palmer has been ruled out of the most recent England camp due to a groin problem, an injury that has set him back on course for the 2025/26 season and consequently missed out on a place in Tuchel’s World Cup squad.
Following the 24-year-old’s latest exit from the Three Lions, Tuchel questioned the Chelsea striker’s commitment and said he had “missed a lot of camps”. Palmer Tuchel has played just three times since taking over in January 2025.
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Declaring Palmer fit for this afternoon’s Premier League clash with Chelsea and Bournemouth, Alonso does not believe the striker has any issues with representing his country.
Speaking on Friday afternoon, Alonso said: “He is determined but he has to be fully fit to play and he will enjoy his minutes when he is fully fit. We need him, the club and the national team at that moment.”
Palmer was ruled out of Chelsea’s behind closed doors friendly defeat to Championship side Portsmouth last weekend, sources said. He spent part of the recently concluded international break in the Caribbean working on his fitness with a specialist trainer before returning to the UK to prepare for the Cherries’ trip.
Bournemouth were one of the unlucky sides to suffer an injury to a key player during the half-time break, with Chelsea target Alex Scott expected to be sidelined for the next “four or five weeks” according to manager Marco Rose.
Scott was beaten by England 7-0 to Croatia despite feeling something in his quadriceps before the match. In that respect, Alonso feels he was somewhat justified in dropping Palmer.
The Blues boss said: “We were cautious, he was cautious, he wanted to be.
“He wasn’t playing the way he wanted to play. So sometimes it’s better to take a step back and wait until you feel better and do it the right way.
“There’s always a risk. With Morgan [Rogers] there was a risk. Nothing happened. With Jamie [Gittens]there was a risk. We have been missing him for several weeks. With Cole, it was the right decision.”
Palmer is set to feature for Chelsea this afternoon, with fellow players Moises Caicedo, Joao Pedro, Reece James and Marco Palestra also declared fit.
Caicedo is recognized as one of the Premier League’s best midfielders, but the Ecuadorian has played just once this season – a 14-minute cameo against Brighton in August – due to a persistent calf injury.
Alonso couldn’t speak highly enough of the returning 24-year-old and believes his presence will give the rest of the squad a psychological boost.
He said: “I think we are all happier when we see Moi on the field. Not only me, but also his teammates are happier.
“He’s not just a great player. Everyone loves Moi because of how generous he is with his efforts, how much he helps each of his teammates, how important he is. Everyone is very happy to see him again.”
Then when asked football.london Asked whether it was fair to judge Caicedo’s absence for Chelsea over his undeniable importance to the side in the first seven games of the season, Alonso replied: “I’m not going to tell people how to judge, but you have to deal with injuries.
“I think everything we’ve done, but certainly the balance that Moi gives, he’s going to play a very important role in the team because of the many qualities he has. He’s at a point where he has to continue to grow and learn.
“I’m really excited to work with him and see him on the pitch every game and see the good and the bad together to give him confidence. To make sure he improves his game and his understanding and why. I have a soft spot with midfielders, definitely Moi.”