Palmer ready for action
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso insists Cole Palmer is committed to representing England following question marks raised by national team boss Thomas Tuchel. Tuchel stated that the forward misses too many opportunities to play international football after he withdrew from the squad ahead of Nations League fixtures against Spain, Czechia, and Croatia.
Palmer has since trained with his club and is declared fit for the Premier League clash with Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge. Alonso stated that the player has trained during the last week and feels better. The manager noted that they did not want to rush him because they had enough time. Alonso added that Palmer was struggling during the Brentford game but has a good feeling for the upcoming matches.
Team news and fitness updates
Alonso expects Reece James, Moises Caicedo, and Joao Pedro to be available as the Blues try to bounce back from a 3-0 loss at Brentford three weeks ago. Palmer was left out of the World Cup squad and has featured just three times since January 2025. James missed the international window with a hamstring issue, Pedro sat out the Brentford defeat due to a knee injury, and Caicedo has played only 14 minutes this season because of a calf problem.
Alonso confirmed that Caicedo is ready to go after using the time to get back to fitness. The manager stated that the players have been able to train and are ready for the next block of games. Alonso began his reign with back-to-back league wins but has taken just one point from the last nine available, admitting that it is going to take time to keep improving.
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