Cole Palmer set to miss England squad due to injury

In England, Chelsea forward Cole Palmer has withdrawn from the England national squad after suffering a muscle injury during training. The incident occurred on the eve of a Premier League match against Arsenal, which Chelsea eventually lost 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium. Palmer's head coach, Enzo Maresca, confirmed the injury and indicated that Palmer would undergo a scan to evaluate the severity of the problem. With this injury, Palmer is unlikely to participate in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia, scheduled to begin shortly. Despite being a regular starter for Chelsea, Palmer struggled for form in recent matches, failing to score in his last ten appearances across all competitions. Maresca suggested that a break from playing might provide some physical and mental rest for the 22-year-old player. Palmer had previously started all 28 Premier League games this season, highlighting his importance to the team. However, in his absence, Chelsea struggled to create offensive opportunities, which was evident during their defeat by Arsenal. Maresca noted that injuries to key players contributed to Chelsea's lack of attacking threat, stating that without Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, and Noni Madueke—who are their top goal scorers—the team faced significant challenges in attacking cohesiveness. Chelsea's performance against Arsenal was marked by minimal goal-scoring opportunities, illustrated by their low expected goals (xG) of 0.35, the lowest of the season. Meanwhile, Arsenal celebrated this victory as a way to regain momentum in their campaign, as they closed the gap to the Premier League leaders. As for Palmer, his future with the national team remains uncertain until after he receives medical assessments on the injury. Following the scan, there are hopes he can return for Chelsea's next league match against Tottenham Hotspur shortly after the international break. Enzo Maresca expressed that while injuries are unfortunate, this situation may allow Palmer some much-needed time for recuperation, both mentally and physically, which could ultimately benefit his performance in the long term.