Chelsea welcome Palmer back for Bournemouth as groin issue eases
Xabi Alonso has defended Cole Palmer’s commitment to England after Thomas Tuchel questioned his availability, while confirming the Chelsea forward is fit to face Bournemouth.
Alonso says Palmer is committed and ready
Palmer withdrew from England’s recent squad with a groin-related issue, but is available for Chelsea’s match against Bournemouth on Saturday. Alonso told the Guardian: “He’s committed but he needs to be fully fit to play.”
Tuchel had criticised the forward’s international availability, saying Palmer “misses too many opportunities” to represent England and questioning whether he wanted to be part of the squad. Alonso’s response was clear: he says the withdrawal was related to a genuine physical problem, not a lack of desire to play for his country.
Palmer dealt with persistent groin pain last season, which contributed to him missing much of the campaign and being left out of Tuchel’s World Cup squad. He felt some irritation before Chelsea’s defeat by Brentford last month, but Alonso said the recent issue was much less serious than the problem that previously affected his ability to shoot.
“Now he’s fine,” Alonso said. “He’s been feeling better this week. We use the first two weeks for him to recover. It’s a little bit from the pubalgia he had.” The Guardian reported that time away from matches during the extended break helped Chelsea manage the issue.
“The most important thing for Cole is to be fully fit, that he enjoys his game, that he is feeling OK,” Alonso said. Palmer missed four England matches over the last fortnight, and the next question is whether Tuchel includes him for the upcoming fixtures against Croatia and Spain. The earlier disagreement over Palmer’s England absence has now been met with a public defence from his club manager.
Alonso said regular performances at a high level for Chelsea would normally lead naturally to international involvement. For Palmer, the immediate priority is returning to action without aggravating the groin problem.
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Palmer has scored four goals for Chelsea this season, and his return comes with the Blues three league matches without a win. Alonso also hopes Reece James, Moisés Caicedo and Marco Palestra can return against Bournemouth.
The wider Chelsea injury picture ahead of Bournemouth could shape Alonso’s selections, while Palmer’s availability is a central factor in the expected line-up.
“We need him – the club and the national team,” Alonso said. Palmer is fit for Saturday, but whether he returns to England’s squad for next month’s games against Croatia and Spain remains to be decided.
