Chelsea has left Cole Palmer, their 22-year-old England star, out of the squad for the opening stages of the UEFA Conference League. The decision aims to manage Palmer’s minutes in a season that could potentially run until mid-July due to Chelsea’s participation in the expanded Club World Cup in the United States.
Palmer, who scored in England’s Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain just 33 days before the Premier League season began, has also withdrawn from the England squad for upcoming Nations League matches against the Republic of Ireland and Finland.
The club’s decision extends to other players as well. Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana were also omitted from the European squad, reportedly for “load management” reasons. Chelsea is set to participate in the new Club World Cup, scheduled from June 15th to July 13th in the United States.
This move comes amid growing concerns about player welfare. On Thursday, FIFPro, the global footballers’ union, stated that football’s governing bodies are “failing to meet their duty of care” towards players by denying them sufficient rest as tournaments continue to expand. The union has suggested implementing a guaranteed minimum amount of time off and even introducing a maximum number of games for players.
Palmer’s situation exemplifies these concerns, having played 57 matches for club and country last season. The head of England’s Professional Footballers’ Association has pointed to the impressive form of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, both of whom had a summer break from international commitments, as evidence of the benefits of rest periods for players.
In the UEFA Conference League, Chelsea will face Gent, Panathinaikos, FC Noah, Heidenheim, Astana, and Shamrock Rovers in the new league phase of UEFA’s third-tier European club competition. Despite his current exclusion, Palmer could still be added to the Blues squad for later stages should the team progress in the tournament.
