Adding to the disappointment for the Chelsea attacker, his omission from the official 2026 England calendar has sparked media chatter, with some supporters fearing it might be a “major hint” that he could miss the tournament entirely. ..Continue Reading
The 2026 England calendar is expected to be a popular Christmas gift for young football enthusiasts, but it’s unlikely to find a place among the presents in the Palmer home.
The lineup of players featured includes names such as Morgan Gibbs-White, Eberechi Eze, Morgan Rogers, and even Jack Grealish.
However, the Blues’ key forward — who scored the Three Lions’ only goal in the Euro 2024 final against Spain — is not included.
According to the England store’s website: “Celebrate the England National Team every day of the year with this 2026 Calendar.
“Featuring vibrant imagery and key dates, it’s the perfect way to keep track of important events while showing your support.”
Despite the speculation, FA sources have indicated that the players chosen for the calendar were mostly selected based on appearances during the 2024/25 campaign in order to meet production timelines — a season in which Palmer was hampered by injuries and limited minutes under manager Thomas Tuchel.
Palmer has missed several games lately due to different injuries, but his latest toe problem has drawn particular curiosity because of the circumstances surrounding it.
Team-mate Marc Cucurella hinted that it might have happened while he was playing the popular football video game FIFA.
He told journalists on Monday: “To be fair, I don’t believe it. It is true that these things can sometimes happen. I have had this a couple of times but I’m stronger than them, so I don’t feel anything. It’s a big upset for us because he’s getting closer to playing with us, to train with us, and then now he needs to rest. But this is part of life, a part of footballers’ lives, we have personal lives, and we have these kinds of problems, so hopefully he can recover fast.”
When asked what Palmer was doing at the time, Cucurella responded: “I don’t know. He’s running because I think he lost a FIFA game or something like this, I think!”
It has been an eventful week for Palmer, with various injury updates provided by Blues manager Enzo Maresca.
Earlier in the week, Palmer was still wearing a protective boot, but by Friday he was being considered for the high-stakes London derby against Arsenal.
Before the match against Barcelona, Maresca said: “Yes, Cole is wearing a (protective) boot. We don’t know when he will be back but for sure it will be soon. He’s already on the pitch, he’s already touching the ball, and the feeling (for him) is good. At the moment, we are only looking at tomorrow’s game.
“It’s a Champions League game against Barcelona, that is our focus, and then we will look ahead to Arsenal. I don’t think he will be available for these two games, but he is doing well.”
But during his Friday media briefing, he confirmed that Palmer is now fit to take on Arsenal. He told reporters: “He is available for both (to start and to play). (His return will elevate the squad) A lot.
“As you said, he’s probably our best player. We are happy he is back. We need to give him time to make sure he’s 100 per cent fit. He has done fantastically in the past, and there is no doubt he will do fantastically in the future.”
Leave a Reply