Chelsea’s Cole Palmer will not join England’s squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia, manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed. Despite initial hopes that Palmer might recover in time, the Chelsea star will remain with his club to continue treatment for an injury sustained in training last Friday. The injury also kept him out of Chelsea’s defeat to Arsenal.
Speaking to the press, Tuchel clarified the decision. “Cole will not be with us,” Tuchel stated. “He wasn’t on the pitch with Chelsea. We waited for feedback and considered the possibility of calling him up, but it makes no sense to do so now.”
Tuchel added that the current 26-man squad provides sufficient options. “We have a full squad training today. Hopefully, nothing happens in the final sessions, and we’ll have some tough choices to make for tomorrow’s game.”
Chelsea’s Transfer Strategy and Future Planning
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s transfer policy continues to reflect long-term planning. The club recently secured deals for Sporting duo Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo, signaling their commitment to building for the future. Sky Sports’ Nick Wright highlighted Quenda’s impressive stats, underscoring his potential to make a significant impact at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea Leading in Long-Term Squad Stability
Chelsea’s strategy is paying off, as a recent CIES Football Observatory study revealed that the Blues lead the world in fielding players contracted beyond 2026. A staggering 91.8% of Chelsea’s minutes this season have been played by long-term contracted players — the highest figure among all clubs globally.
Manchester United ranks second among Premier League clubs with 86.4%, followed by Arsenal at 85.8% and Bournemouth at 82.1%. At the other end of the table, Everton registers only 34.4% of minutes from players secured beyond 2026, with Leicester (55.2%) and Southampton (56.1%) also posting low figures. Interestingly, even league leaders Liverpool only reach 58.1%.
Chelsea’s focus on long-term contracts and youth development reflects a strategic effort to maintain consistency and competitiveness at the highest level.