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The Euro 2024 final goalscorer has been left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the upcoming World Cup, marking one of the most surprising decisions made by the national team manager.

Cole Palmer was among the biggest names omitted from Tuchel’s 26-man squad announced on Friday, alongside Phil Foden, Harry Maguire, and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The 24-year-old midfielder had previously made a major impression for the national side, being named England’s Player of the Year in 2024 after coming off the bench to score in the heartbreaking European Championship final loss to Spain in Berlin.

However, since Tuchel took over as England manager early last year, Palmer’s chances have been limited. His club form with Chelsea also dipped significantly in a season plagued by injuries and inconsistency at Stamford Bridge.

Despite this downturn, Palmer’s omission from the World Cup squad has shocked many. Chelsea’s interim head coach, Calum McFarlane, has expressed confidence that the youngster will bounce back strongly from this disappointment.

“In life and in football, setbacks are inevitable, but they can be turned into positives,” McFarlane said during Chelsea’s pre-match press conference ahead of their final Premier League game of the season against Sunderland, held just hours after England’s squad announcement.

“There will always be moments like this, and with the right mindset, you can use them to grow stronger.”

Despite being asked for his opinion on Tuchel’s decision, McFarlane chose not to comment directly. He explained, “I don’t want to speak about that — it’s not my place. The England manager has made his choice, and it’s best to ask him about it. We have full trust in Cole, and he remains an important player for us this weekend.”

Palmer isn’t the only Chelsea player to miss out on this summer’s World Cup in North America. Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah were also left out of Tuchel’s selections for England.

Elsewhere, Joao Pedro and Andrey Santos were not included in Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad announced on Monday, while the injured Estevao also missed out. Meanwhile, Belgium chose not to call up Romeo Lavia.

Discussing the Chelsea players who were left out of their respective national squads, McFarlane said, “The England squad news came out at 10am, so we haven’t had much time to talk or assess the group’s mood. Training was positive, and we’ll have those conversations in the coming days to see how everyone is feeling.”