Cole Palmer England future: Thomas Tuchel sends Chelsea star clear warning after Three Lions absence

Thomas Tuchel has delivered a firm message to Cole Palmer and a number of other prominent absentees, warning that England may be moving on without them.

The Chelsea forward was one of five senior players — alongside Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice and Tino Livramento — to withdraw unexpectedly from the recent UEFA Nations League camp.

The England manager made clear he plans to reward the loyalty and commitment of those who stayed, stressing that players must be enthusiastic to represent their country.

“It’s always like this," said Tuchel via The Mirror. "This is how it has to be. Everyone should be eager to come, desperate to come because the train is rolling and the train is rolling and full credit to the players who bought into that.

“It can only work like this. We can only put our full energy into the camp and the players who are in camp makes the camp special. This will never change."

Palmer, who was left out of the World Cup squad over the summer, has not played for the Three Lions since March’s friendly against Japan and now faces a difficult task to earn his way back into contention.

England's high-octane attack thrives without absentees

England overcame the absence of a host of established attacking stars by embracing an exhilarating, front-foot style in their latest fixtures.

Tuchel's sleek Three Lions side beat the Czech Republic twice before routing Croatia with a seven-goal display, with Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham at the forefront and centre.

Those performances gave a crop of rising players the chance to strengthen their international standing while a few other senior figures were unavailable.

Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon has made the left-sided role his own ahead of Rashford, while Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott marked his senior debut by impressing the coaching staff.

“It was on a very high level." admitted Tuchel. "Football on a high level, football that suits us, attacking football, a lot of high ball wins and we took some calculated risks in the ‘man-on-man’ approach in the opponents’ half.

“We did it in all four games and we had four good performances, if unfortunately not four wins. We didn’t beat Spain but it was always about the reaction and that was on a high level. It’s shown me how we react in the next camps after a tournament. I have never done a big tournament or a big camp after a tournament.

“It was new for me and brilliant to see how everyone bought into the idea of the next steps and the details needed to adjust to maybe unlock the next level.”

Palmer England future: Battle to regain places for November decider

England's tactical transformation has prompted fresh debate over whether Palmer and Manchester City’s Phil Foden could slot smoothly into this high-intensity system.

Asked whether the pair would fit, Tuchel admitted he is unsure, stressing that his attention remains on the players who made the camp such a success.

“I don’t know, is the honest answer," noted the England boss. "They are not here. This team took another step and it’s always about the guys who are here.”

England have all but secured a place in next March’s Nations League knockout rounds, but face a decisive group clash with Spain on November 15, with home advantage at stake.