Thomas Tuchel will always remain a Chelsea fan favourite, having won the Champions League for the club after taking over in mid-season after Frank Lampard was sacked. Sacking the German tactician was the first mistake that BlueCo made, and the first sign of how badly things were about to go for the Blues under the Boehly-Clearlake ownership era.
Anyways, Tuchel is now the England national team manager. And heading into the World Cup, he might have done Chelsea quite a favour.
Xabi Alonso is set to arrive as Chelsea manager on July 1. And if reports doing the rounds are accurate then he might be about to have a full pre-season with some of the club’s best players.
Joao Pedro had already been left out of the Brazil squad. Estevao missed out through injury. And now, it looks like Tuchel won’t have place for the likes of Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill in his team. Of course, the players are bound to be disappointed. It might be for the better if you are a Chelsea supporter.
Palmer looks set to miss out on World Cup spot in Tuchel’s squad
Let’s be real. Based on current form, Palmer probably does not deserve to be in that squad. Yes, when it comes to talent, he should be one of the first picks. But we have not been seeing him perform at his best for months now.
A lot of that might be due to a groin issue he has had to constantly manage. But at the same time, he also seems to be lacking confidence at the moment.
Let’s also not overlook the fact that Palmer has been playing constant football, when fit and available, for years now. Since joining Chelsea in 2023, he has not had a summer off. And while every player wants to be at the World Cup, in the long run, this might be better for him.
Doesn’t sound like Colwill will be going to the World Cup, nor Palmer. While disappointing for them – plus Joao Pedro and Estevao – helpful for Xabi Alonso to have a full first pre-season with Chelsea’s bigger names https://t.co/b3ZvdsqSTn
— Kieran Gill (@kierangill_DM) May 21, 2026
Colwill’s return for Chelsea came a bit too late
Another player who should be in that England squad based on talent is Colwill. Interestingly, he has returned from an ACL injury recently and does not seem to have missed a step. That being said, his comeback might have come a tad too late for Tuchel to consider him for his squad.
Colwill was left out of the team against Tottenham. And that just goes to show that his fitness still needs to be managed. You cannot have that at a tournament like the World Cup, where you will be expected to play a bunch of high-pressure games within a short span of time. So, it is understandable why Tuchel might not be able to back him fully based on a couple of performances, albeit very good ones.
It remains to be seen how the likes of Palmer and Colwill. They could view this as a blow and lose further confidence. Or they could be hungry to prove themselves and Tuchel’s decisions wrong. One would hope that it is the latter.
Sourav Mahanty
Sourav Mahanty has covered teams like Chelsea, Celtic, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and more over a career that has now lasted a decade. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, SB Nation, FanSided, The Sportster and aggregated through Bleacher Report and NewsNow. Outside of football, he is also interested in basketball, cricket and professional wrestling.
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