The World Players’ Union has lifted the lid on a hidden crisis, exposing what they believe is the reason why Chelsea superstar Cole Palmer has seen his form dip.
Cole Palmer’s drop-off in performance for club and country has been rather concerning. Since his meteoric rise, the Chelsea man has been trapped in football’s crazy calendar, playing completely uninterrupted through three consecutive summers.
After dominating the European Under-21 Championship in 2023, he immediately transitioned into Euro 2024 with England, followed by a gruelling, late-summer run with Chelsea at the FIFA Club World Cup.
This immense, unrelenting workload severely caught up with him. Plagued by persistent fitness issues and a clear lack of sharpness on the pitch, Palmer struggled to replicate his previous form for the Blues.
And the ultimate consequence of this came when England manager Thomas Tuchel completely omitted Palmer from his squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup.
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Cole Palmer struggling due to a high work load
According to an investigation by FifPro (as per BBC), which is the global players’ union, Cole Palmer suffered from high player work loads.
However, Matt Law seemed to think that Palmer’s snub from the England squad was more down to the fact that Tuchel didn’t fancy his personality.
“Personality has been a big thing in this. I think it actually is seen as part of the decision- making as regards to Palmer and Maguire.
“Not necessarily that there’s any issue with them or that Tuchel has any major issue. But maybe a few little elements of their personality, especially in seven weeks away, how they respond to certain football decisions.
“I think from what I’m told it factored into some of the decision-making.”
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Have FifPro got it right with Cole Palmer?
The World Players’ Union absolutely hit the nail on the head regarding physical burnout, but it is only half the story. While playing three consecutive summers without a break completely stripped Cole Palmer of his sharpness, Chelsea’s internal instability heavily compounded his struggles.
Operating under a chaotic rotating door of manager changes has disrupted the chemistry he previously enjoyed. Furthermore, Palmer was often used out on the right under Liam Rosenior, which is a position that completely limits the England man.
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