Chelsea news: Cole Palmer described as scheduling "victim" in surprise defence of England international

Chelsea star Cole Palmer has been defended for withdrawing from England duty by Professional Footballers Association chief executive Maheta Molango.

When Palmer pulled out of the latest England squad, Thomas Tuchel admitted that he was frustrated with the absence of the in-form playmaker.

Palmer also came in for general criticism for "load management" being the perceived reason for his withdrawal, a consequence of having a free summer and Chelsea not being involved in European competition.

That is despite the fact that Palmer has already racked up 578 minutes across seven matches this season.

Speaking at the Fifpro Performance Summit in London, Molango claimed that Palmer had become a "victim" of the intense football calendar.

© Imago / Action Plus

Chelsea star Palmer receives PFA support

Molango pointed to Palmer having already played three summers in a row before his omission from England's World Cup squad.

He said: "When England see five players who need to withdraw when the single most proud moment a player has is to be called up for the national team, you just ask yourself, what's wrong about the industry?

"You see people like Cole Palmer, someone who would have played four consecutive summers in a row had he gone to the World Cup, and you wonder why is he missing?

"He's missing because he's a victim of the calendar and that's something that needs to absolutely trigger the alarm bells."

© Imago

Why defence of Palmer is justified

While it is understandable why Palmer received criticism for not making himself available for England, Molango has made a justified point.

Palmer represented England Under-21s in the European Championship in 2023, England at Euro 2024 and Chelsea in the 2025 Club World Cup.

In all three instances, the teams that Palmer represented reached the final of their respective tournaments, significantly reducing his rest periods.

Since the start of 2023-24, Palmer has made 138 appearances for Chelsea and played 14 times for England. That is despite missing two-and-a-half months of action during 2025-26 due to injury.