England leave Cole Palmer out of Nations League squad

England left Cole Palmer out of its squad for the final two Nations League matches of 2026, despite reports that the Chelsea forward was fit to play. The squad, announced Friday, will face Croatia at Wembley on November 12 and Spain in Madrid on November 15. The reason for Palmer’s omission was not explained by England in the reports. Before the announcement, England contacted Chelsea for medical information about Palmer as manager Thomas Tuchel considered his selection. Such club checks are routine and do not guarantee a call-up, according to reports. Palmer was ultimately not named in the squad. One report said Palmer was fit enough to play for Chelsea and described his omission as a selection decision rather than an injury-enforced absence. That account attributed the information to reporting by The Athletic. The other reports established that England sought information about his fitness but did not confirm whether it affected the final decision. Palmer withdrew from England’s previous camp after playing with discomfort and pain, according to Tuchel’s earlier explanation. He missed the September and October fixtures after being recalled following his omission from England’s...