Cole Palmer set to be promoted into bigger England role by Lee Carsley… but Kyle Walker could be dropped from tomorrow’s squad
- Cole Palmer was used as a substitute under Gareth Southgate at the 2024 European Championship
- Kyle Walker is back in the Man City squad, but could be left out again by England
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England interim head coach Lee Carsley is ready to sack Cole Palmer at the forefront of his attempts to get the job on a permanent basis.
Carsley will get his first chance to select Palmer, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden when he announces his squad for the UEFA Nations League matches with Greece and Finland on Thursday.
Palmer and Foden withdrew from the interim boss’s first party for last month’s internationals against Ireland and Finland due to muscle fatigue and illness respectively, while Bellingham was also unavailable due to injury.
Chelsea striker Palmer in particular has had an impressive start to the season and Carsley appears keen to give the 22-year-old a more prominent platform on the international stage than was afforded him by previous boss Gareth Southgate.
Competition for starting roles as England’s attacking midfielder is fierce, with the likes of Foden, Bukayo Saka, Jack Grealish and Anthony Gordon all vying for regular places. Bellingham was even used as number 10 at Euro 2024.
Cole Palmer appears ready for a bigger role in Lee Carsley’s England squad
Carsley worked with Palmer at Under-21 level and believes he can play a bigger role
But Carsley rates Palmer’s abilities very highly and is willing to give the youngster, who he worked with at Under-21s, a bigger role at senior level.
Elsewhere, there is uncertainty over whether Kyle Walker will be included in the squad. Manchester City defender Walker was not selected in Carsley’s previous squad as he had barely played at that point in the season.
However, the right-back has since featured more regularly under Pep Guardiola and any omission would raise questions over Walker’s long-term future at international level.
Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke is fit after an injury early in the season and has scored three goals in three games.
Kyle Walker is back in the Manchester City squad but could still be left out for England
It is understood Carsley has yet to see Ivan Toney in person since the former Brentford striker’s move to Saudi Arabia.
Aston Villa’s Morgan Rodgers has impressed in the early part of the season, while Carsley is a huge admirer of Liverpool’s Curtis Jones – although it remains to be seen whether either midfielder makes the cut.