Cole Palmer is set to return for Chelsea’s clash with Burnley on Saturday (Getty)
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that Cole Palmer was ‘disappointed’ with his lack of playing time in England’s friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.
The 21-year-old has been Chelsea’s standout performer this season with 11 goals and eight assists in the Premier League and earned a call-up to England’s squad for their two friendlies during the international break.
However, Palmer was unable to feature in the 1-0 defeat to Brazil due to a minor injury, according to Pochettino.
Chelsea’s £42.5 million signing was then left on the bench by Gareth Southgate for England’s 2-2 draw with Belgium at Wembley on Tuesday evening.
Despite his injury setback during the international break, Pochettino believes Palmer is on course to play in Chelsea’s Premier League clash at home to Burnley on Saturday.
‘I was talking with him, yes, he’s a little bit disappointed because he could not play with the national team,’ Pochettino said on Thursday.
Cole Palmer was given no minutes to impress for England during the international break (Getty)
‘I think the first game he had a small problem, I think he thought he could play in the second game against Belgium but he didn’t play.
‘Now he’s okay, he’s training well. Still one more training session tomorrow [Friday], but I think the plan is if he follows tomorrow in the same way I think he will be available for the game on Saturday.’
Explaining his decision to leave Palmer on the bench, Southgate said: ‘I said when I named the squad there is competition for places in those wide areas.
‘A bit of a shame that Cole Palmer missed so much training that we weren’t able to put him into the game [against Belgium] at the stage it was having missed most of the week.
‘We weren’t 100 per cent certain what we would get whereas with Gordon we knew and Maddison we knew. I wouldn’t rule Cole out of that equation.’
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