The attacker is now a global superstar, but fitness issues have prevented him from building on his exploits at Euro 2024
This is not how Cole Palmer's England career was supposed to be unfolding. Following a meteoric rise with Chelsea in 2023-24 and having come up clutch in a big way for his country at the European Championship despite a bit-part role, he was expected to be a key man under new manager Thomas Tuchel one year on.
But things haven't worked out that way. A series of ill-timed fitness issues mean the 23-year-old has earned just three more caps since Euro 2024 and what seemed certain to be a watershed moment for his international career. With the 2026 World Cup now just nine months away, time may actually be running out for Palmer to establish himself in Tuchel's plans and ensure he is the main man in the United States, Canada and Mexico.