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Morgan Rogers has dismissed claims that Chelsea teammate Cole Palmer has no desire to play for England, calling the notion a "lie" and "nonsense."
Palmer's ascent was rapid after joining the Blues from Manchester City in 2023, flourishing during Mauricio Pochettino's only season in charge. The creative midfielder racked up an impressive 33 goal contributions across as many Premier League appearances, followed by 24 the next campaign.
The 23-year-old made his Three Lions debut during his breakthrough spell in west London, yet has found it difficult to cement a regular role at international level, despite netting the equalizer as a substitute in the Euro 2024 final, a match England ultimately lost 2–1 to Spain.
An injury-disrupted 2025–26 campaign saw Palmer left out of Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad, with the German coach since expressing regret over his "missed opportunities." Palmer withdrew from the September–October international window through injury and was again overlooked by Tuchel in November.
However, his club colleague Rogers has firmly rejected the suggestion that Palmer has any reluctance to represent his nation.
Morgan Rogers Comes to Cole Palmer's Staunch Defense Over England Status
Rogers broke the deadlock for England in their 2–1 win over Croatia on Thursday night. Chelsea's record signing was then quizzed after the final whistle about Palmer's dedication to the national side, or the apparent absence of it.
"It's a lie," Rogers told BBC Radio 5 Live. "He wants to be here. He wanted to get called up, and he wanted to come and represent his country as he always has. People just treat it as a story and say whatever's easiest."
Rogers also defended Palmer's choice to withdraw from previous squads, arguing it reflected sensible self-management.
"He wants to play for 10-15 years; he also has to look after himself. If he has to manage himself in the short term for the greater good, then he has to do that, and you have to fully support it. It has nothing to do with England or not wanting to play for England. It's nonsense really that people are questioning someone who genuinely wants to represent his country," the former Aston Villa man said.
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Palmer has made an encouraging start to the new campaign, contributing three goals and three assists across 10 league matches. He has particularly thrived alongside close friend Rogers, with whom he spent years coming through City's academy, and João Pedro.
However, that strong form wasn't sufficient to sway Tuchel, who favored players he already trusts and who were available for the previous international window.
"It matters what you do in camp," the England boss said. "The last camp was an excellent one, so the trust and belief is on the players who were there."
Rather than recalling Palmer, Tuchel turned to Borussia Dortmund's Jobe Bellingham, who received his maiden senior call-up, and Fulham's Josh King, who had featured in the pre-World Cup training camp.
How Tuchel Responded to Rogers' Palmer Defense
The at-times blunt England manager raised no objections to Rogers' remarks, responding: "It's totally fine. He's his teammate and friend, so why wouldn't he?
"I was very happy with the commitment of Morgan Rogers and that's what matters."
Unlike his predecessor, Tuchel has shown no hesitation in making difficult selection decisions for the benefit of the group. While Sir Gareth Southgate often struggled to juggle his array of gifted attacking players in his final period in charge, Tuchel has previously excluded Jude Bellingham from squads, left out Phil Foden, and now Palmer.
The German maintains it is "nothing personal" regarding Palmer, who has been sidelined through injury on five separate occasions since Tuchel took over. His frustration is understandable, as is his wavering confidence in the playmaker despite a promising start to the season.
The 24-year-old has featured under Tuchel on just three occasions.