England midfielder Morgan Rogers has defended Cole Palmer against suggestions that the Chelsea forward is unwilling to represent his country, saying his absence from recent squads is linked to fitness concerns rather than a lack of commitment.
Rogers described the claims questioning Palmer’s desire to play for England as “a lie” and “nonsense”, insisting that his Chelsea teammate remains eager to wear the national team shirt.
The Aston Villa midfielder spoke after England’s 2-1 UEFA Nations League victory over Croatia on Thursday, in which he opened the scoring before captain Harry Kane converted a penalty on his record-breaking 126th appearance for the Three Lions.
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Palmer was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad after the England manager suggested the forward had missed too many opportunities to impress. He also missed the previous international camp in September after withdrawing with a minor injury.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Rogers said Palmer had wanted to join the national team and was keen to represent England.
“He wants to be here. He wanted to get called up and he wanted to come and represent his country as he always has done,” Rogers said.
He explained that Palmer had struggled with injuries over the past year and had not always felt fully fit during matches.
According to Rogers, the 24-year-old needs to manage his body properly to protect his long-term career, adding that such decisions should not be mistaken for a lack of interest in international football.
“It has nothing to do with England or not wanting to play with England. It’s a nonsense really that people are questioning someone that wants to play for England. It’s a lie,” he added.
Palmer has earned 14 caps since making his England debut three years ago, scoring twice and providing one assist. His goals include England’s equaliser in the Euro 2024 final against Spain, although the Three Lions eventually lost 2-1.
The forward has also enjoyed impressive club performances, registering 50 Premier League goals and 24 assists. He was named England Men’s Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season.
However, he has featured in only three of Tuchel’s 27 matches since the German replaced Gareth Southgate as England manager.
Tuchel has maintained that Palmer remains part of his plans but said competition for attacking positions is intense.
“We have enough number 10s and we stick to the guys who were in the previous camp because we were happy with the two and a half weeks we had together,” he said.
The England manager also dismissed suggestions that Palmer was being deliberately excluded, saying the forward remained under consideration.
“It’s not personal. We will never assume Cole is in the mindset never to come to the camp. Cole is always in our mindset but the competition is on,” Tuchel added.
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