Thomas Tuchel’s explanation for not taking Cole Palmer to the World Cup was brutal in its honesty.The England manager’s logic was undeniable.Without context, leaving out the highest-ranked Englishman in last year’s Ballon d’Or (Palmer finished eighth, Harry Kane was 13th) could be regarded as hugely controversial. But the Chelsea forward did not play like one of the world’s best for the majority of the 2025-26 season and England’s alternative No 10 options are too strong for that to be overlooked.In a press conference last month, Tuchel explained that not only had the 24-year-old lacked form for his club, but neither was he influential when representing England, citing “outstanding players” Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze as better options in that position.“His record with us was just not outstanding, not good enough to make him ‘no matter what, he is coming’,” the German explained. “That is just the reality of it.“It is a very difficult and a very hard decision. There is no question about his talent, there is no question what he can give you in special moments, but the decision was still against him.”Palmer’s production for Chelsea plummeted last season. He only just crept into double figures for Premier League goals (10) on the final day against Sunderland. Half of his season’s tally were penalties. He registered only one assist in the league, a surprisingly low return for an elite passer who generated 19 across his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge.The underlying numbers were even more worrying. Palmer’s chances created per game fell from 2.5 in 2024-25 to 1.1 last season, while his crosses dropped from 4.1 to 1.7. As you can see in the two graphics below, he exerted a huge creative influence from his favoured spot in the right half-space in 2024-25…… but barely made an impression anywhere in the final third last season.In an interview with the Guardian in April, Palmer was candid about the physical reason for his struggles: a groin injury unlike anything he had experienced before, one without a clear recovery timeframe and which left him barely able to move against Manchester United away in September. When he returned to action as a substitute against Leeds United in December, he was, he said, incapable of sprinting, shooting or kicking the ball long.If the groin is still an issue and surgery proves the wisest course of action, he has his first clear block in his schedule for three summers to receive treatment, having played at the European Under-21 Championship in 2023, the European Championship in 2024 and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025. He scored or assisted a goal in the final of all three tournaments.