Morgan Rogers jokes about Cole Palmer's England absence but defends Chelsea team-mate against Thomas Tuchel criticism

Tuchel did not hide his disappointment regarding Palmer's decision to skip England’s latest camp, which includes a high-profile friendly against Spain and crucial Nations League fixtures. The Chelsea star opted for a period of personal rehabilitation in the Caribbean instead of reporting to Tottenham’s training complex, citing the need for "load management" after an injury-interrupted previous campaign. The Three Lions manager suggested that the player is missing too many chances to integrate with the squad under his new leadership.

The German coach highlights a growing tension between club needs and international requirements between club needs and international requirements, especially given that other high-profile names like Declan Rice and Marcus Rashford also withdrew from the current selection citing minor fitness concerns.

While Tuchel was criticising the absence from a managerial perspective, Rogers was quick to protect his long-time friend. Rogers, who shared a room with Palmer during their time in England's youth ranks, acknowledged the disappointment of not having the playmaker available but insisted that player welfare must come first. The 24-year-old explained that the demands of the modern game require careful self-regulation to avoid long-term damage, particularly after the intensity Palmer faced last year during his breakout season in London.

"Unfortunately he couldn’t be here, but I think he’s got to focus on his body after what he went through last year. He needs to be in a good physical state and that obviously comes first as players. You want to be in the best fighting-fit shape if you can." Rogers told reporters. However, the former Aston Villa man couldn't resist a joke about being separated from his close companion for a few days, smiling as he remarked: "Nah, I'm all right having the break from him, to be honest. Being around him 24/7 can be quite tough, so having the break’s quite nice. But of course, I love playing with Cole. I love being around him."

The duo have been instrumental for Chelsea this season, combining for a total of seven goals and six assists as they thrive under Xabi Alonso's tactical setup. Rogers believes that allowing Palmer the time to recover now will pay dividends for both Chelsea and England in the future. He emphasised that a fully fit Palmer is essential for the national team’s success, even if it means missing out on immediate fixtures to ensure he can perform at his peak during the business end of the season and future major tournaments.

Discussing the necessity of the break, Rogers added: "I’m disappointed he’s not here, obviously, from a selfish point of view. But I know it’ll do him the greater good moving forward, that we can get the best version of him throughout the whole season and in an England shirt moving forward. I think as a nation you want Cole Palmer and players like that in an English shirt, but it’s not always possible with the games and what we’ve got coming up. You have to manage yourself, especially after what he went through last year, he doesn’t want to go through that again. So he’s made a decision for himself to look after his body."

With Palmer absent, Rogers is expected to take on a more prominent role as England attempt to match the technical prowess of world champions Spain. The squad is still navigating the emotional fallout from their World Cup exit against Argentina, where questions were raised about their ability to maintain control under pressure.

"We’ve had that conversation internally and that’s something we’re definitely going to learn from. It’s a lot of players who experienced that environment for the first time. You don’t know how you’re going to fare and react. Knowing we’ve gone through it, as heartbreaking as it was, I’m hoping that experience will put me and the group in massive stead going forward, that in those situations we can remember how it felt when the whistle went in that game, of how the last half an hour felt," Rogers noted.