Former England striker Alan Shearer has taken aim at Chelsea's Cole Palmer for choosing to miss the Nations League matches under the pretext of managing his physical workload.
England's head coach Thomas Tuchel previously noted that the criticism aimed at Palmer regarding his commitment is "hard to dispute." The German had called the midfielder into the squad after previously leaving him out of the World Cup selection.
Shearer emphasised that a call-up to the national team should be treated with utmost seriousness:
I believe it's essential to seize every opportunity to play for England. You can't just show up for World Cups or Euros.
We don't know the complete story and can only speculate, but there have been too many refusals, haven't there? Declan Rice, for example, has missed out due to the huge amount of minutes he's played — it seems he's still recovering from an injury. I’m not sure about the situation with the others, but there have been far too many players dropping out.
However, this opens doors for others. For instance, Morgan Gibbs-White is now presented with a fantastic opportunity. Tuchel mentioned there was a surplus of "tens" in the squad, but with one out, Morgan now has a chance. If he performs well, scores, and shows strong football, the manager will have no choice but to include him next time.
What I really don't understand is Cole Palmer's refusal. I grasp the need to protect one's body, but he hasn't played that many matches. Furthermore, he won't have many games ahead, considering Chelsea's absence from European competitions this season. Without knowing all the details, I still find this situation quite strange, especially in light of his absence from the World Cup.
The mass withdrawals of key players have intensified scrutiny around the England team; however, the coaching staff must now rely on players from the immediate reserve.
