As the World Cup approaches and squads are announced, there have been plenty of surprising and heartbreaking omissions from some of the top nations in the world.
In the Brazil squad, there was a place for Neymar Jr, but at the expense of Joao Pedro, as the Chelsea star was unable to force his way into Carlo Ancelotti's plans for the tournament.
Heartbreaking footage showed a shocked reaction from Pedro's family at the snubbing of the forward, after clear expectation that the star would be involved in some capacity.
He isn't the only one in the Chelsea dressing room to miss out, however, as recent reports have stated that Cole Palmer will be left out of the England squad named on Friday. It comes as devastating news for the pair, especially in the context of conversations they have both had about facing off in the World Cup this summer.
World Cup Devastation For Palmer And Pedro
Cole Palmer
Palmer and Pedro's absence from the Brazil and England come as a huge blow for the Chelsea stars, even more so because of how excited they both appeared at the prospect of facing off.
The bracket could see the Three Lions take on the Selecao in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, which could have seen the duo face off on the big stage.
That isn't happening now, but there was some excitement about it, as Pedro told TNT Sports last week: "He [Palmer] goes crazy if I don’t say England are favourites. He really wants Brazil vs England in the quarter-finals. I told him: ‘Careful, huh? Be careful.'"
It appeared as though both players were confident of facing off, but just a week later, neither will be involved for their countries and will have to watch it all play out from home.
For players of their calibre, it'll be a blow, as they will want to compete at the top level in every competition, but now the focus has to be on finding form to get into contention for the next round of international fixtures.
Chelsea Frustration Impact
Chelsea
The omissions of Pedro and Palmer from their national teams came as a direct consequence of their form for their club and the struggles they faced.
That has been a clear problem for Chelsea, who have dropped off in form during the second half of the season, with the players suffering as a result. While Pedro has shown more glimpses of quality in the chaos, Palmer's struggles have been particularly evident during a difficult campaign.
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They will now have time to reflect on a difficult period, with the need to find some form and get Chelsea back to where they belong in the table. The arrival of Xabi Alonso and a fresh break before a full pre-season should all help with that, but there needs to be a change to get back to their best.