England boss Thomas Tuchel rules Cole Palmer out of Albania, Latvia clashes

Palmer, 22, had been named in Tuchel's first squad since taking charge of the national team last week. However, doubts over his availability had lingered after a recent illness and a muscle injury sustained in training.

The Chelsea playmaker, who scored in last summer's European Championship final, was sidelined for his club's recent clash against Arsenal after being substituted early in their win over Leicester. Despite hopes that he might recover in time, Tuchel has now ruled him out of both clashes.

Speaking to the media, Tuchel explained the reasoning behind Palmer's omission.

"Cole will not be joining us," he stated. "He hasn't trained with Chelsea, and we've waited for an update, hoping he could be available. But he's still not on the pitch, so calling him up now doesn't make sense."

With Palmer unavailable, Tuchel is focusing on the players at his disposal. "We have all 26 players in training today, which gives us full options. Hopefully, nothing changes, and we'll have some tough decisions to make for the match."

Tuchel, who has stepped back into management after his stints with Chelsea and Bayern Munich, is relishing his new role. He described the atmosphere in the England squad as electric.

"There's a real buzz ahead of the first game. I can feel the excitement within the group," he said. "I've missed this - the energy of a football team, the dressing room atmosphere. It's great to see the players spending time together."

Despite England's clear ranking advantage over Albania, Tuchel is urging caution and adaptability.

"In attack, we want to establish our rhythm, structure, and allow players to express themselves fully," he explained. "But in modern football, you have to respect every opponent. Albania will have their own strategy, so we must be flexible in our approach - both in formation and tactics."

He emphasized that England cannot afford to be complacent. "We can't just assume we'll dictate everything and expect teams to adjust to us. We have to be ready to adapt, especially when we don't have possession."

As England prepares for their first qualifiers under Tuchel's leadership, all eyes will be on how the team responds to his vision - without Palmer in the mix.