Tuchel warns Palmer and absentees that England's train is rolling without them

Thomas Tuchel has issued a direct warning to Cole Palmer and the other players who withdrew from England’s Nations League camp: the squad is moving on, and places are no longer guaranteed.

Palmer was one of five absentees from Tuchel’s most recent four-game camp, alongside Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice and Tino Livramento. England won without them, beating Czech Republic twice and thrashing Croatia 7-0, leaving the side on the verge of qualifying for the Nations League knockout stages in March.

“It’s always like this. This is how it has to be,” Tuchel said when asked whether the absent players now face a battle to return. “Everyone should be eager to come, desperate to come because the train is rolling — full credit to the players who bought into that. It can only work like this.”

The message carries particular weight for Palmer. Tuchel had already noted publicly that the Chelsea forward misses “way too many opportunities for England,” and the 22-year-old was also left out of the squad for the summer World Cup. Palmer has not featured for his country since a friendly against Japan in March, and holds 14 caps with two international goals, one of them in England’s Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.

When pressed on whether Palmer and Phil Foden would fit England’s high-tempo style, Tuchel was candid: “I don’t know, is the honest answer. They are not here. This team took another step and it’s always about the guys who are here.”

Rashford, who contributed 19 goals across 78 caps and was part of Tuchel’s World Cup plans, has seen Anthony Gordon emerge as the first-choice left winger during the camp. Mainoo, 21, was an unused squad member at the World Cup and will have noted that Alex Scott — handed his debut by Tuchel during this camp — impressed throughout.

Tuchel is expected to name his squad for England’s final two Nations League group games against Croatia and Spain in November. A win over Croatia would set up a potential group-deciding clash in Spain on 15 November, with the Nations League quarter-final draw scheduled for 20 November in Nyon.