Gareth Southgate says Chelsea forward Cole Palmer is unavailable vs Brazil
Gareth Southgate has confirmed Chelsea winger Cole Palmer is set to miss the England clash with Brazil with other teammates Harry Kane and Jordan Henderson. It has been revealed that the trio are struggling with an injury, and the Three Lions coach doesn’t want to take a risk.
Palmer has been picked up for the second time by Southgate since his move to Chelsea. The 21-year-old is currently enjoying a productive season with the Blues, amassing 11 goals in the Premier League.
Palmer deservedly earned a berth on the England national squad for his performance, but an injury scare will prevent the attacker from playing. Additionally, since Euro 2024 is quickly approaching and they don’t want any of their players to sustain a permanent injury, they will need to exercise caution when it comes to any player injuries.
Southgate stressed that he currently has 40 players unavailable for their last two March friendlies before Euro 2024. Speaking to the media, the manager commented on three players’s absences via Independent:
“No Kane, no Henderson, no Palmer for tomorrow. Bukayo arrived with a hamstring problem, so he didn’t train and has gone back, but everybody else is available to play.”
Southgate shouldn’t be worried because England boasts great squad depth!!
England has big depth in every position, and even without players like Palmer and Bukayo Saka, they still have Phil Foden and Jarrod Bowen. The strength of their team is quite impressive and illustrates how spoilt for choice Southgate is.
Palmer missing Brazil game doesn’t look serious, and it will only give him much-needed rest because he has been playing in every Chelsea game and should take care of his fitness. We need to be very careful with our players as we head into the most important time of the campaign, which could decide our European competition spot.
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Additionally, players sometimes suffer injuries during international breaks, so it was a smart move by Southgate to rest Palmer and other players because England are playing Brazil, who are famous for playing very aggressive football and players can risk picking injury in the match.