Cole Palmer celebrates scoring against Aston Villa. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

'He is smiling' – Thomas Tuchel shows his love of Chelsea player ahead of key games

Originally posted on Chelsea News | By Simon Phillips | Last updated Mar 27, 2026 2:30 AM ET

The World Cup is right around the corner now, and England manager Thomas Tuchel has shown his love of Cole Palmer.

There has been some doubts and even question marks from some rival fans and pundits whether Palmer will even go to the World Cup with England this summer after inconsistent form over a sustained period.

However, I believe the latest comments from Tuchel on Palmer would suggest that there is NO chance of that happening, and Palmer will definitely be going with him in his England squad.

The question really is whether Palmer will be a starter in Tuchel’s best Xl, and he has the next couple of games to prove that – this will be key for the Blues attacker.

Tuchel on Palmer

In quotes picked up on X today, Tuchel said:

“He really tries. When I hug him, that means he is smiling, otherwise he would not get a hug. He is in good spirits, he is open and he is communicating and is showing his quality.

“He is very engaged in the group and these are very important steps to show the performance to be involved in the group and have connections within the group, so he will get his chances during the next matches.”

Liam Rosenior has two weeks to try and come up with a solution to Chelsea’s huge problems. It may not be enough with four defeats in a row in his last four games and a lot of problems right now.

Josh Acheampong is apparently not for sale this summer – in that case, we should probably start playing him, right?

This article first appeared on Chelsea News and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: