What Has Happened to Cole Palmer?

Cole Palmer’s worrying slide didn’t stop as Chelsea lost 3-1 to Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge on Monday. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder had another night to forget in West London, as the fans endured what was arguably a 3/10 performance from him.

Matz Sels saved his weak penalty kick deep into first-half stoppage time, which might have given the Blues a foundation to start the second half with. The penalty miss is also probably the best example of how things have gone wrong for him this season.

Palmer’s problems are mostly due to a chronic groin condition called pubalgia that has taken away his explosive movements and rhythm that helped him become a superstar. The Chelsea star, who used to control games with ease, now often drifts out of them. He has lost his shooting touch and hasn’t scored a goal in any competition since March 4. He also doesn’t beat his man one-on-one very often anymore.

He has scored ten goals in all competitions, across 30 games this season, and five of those goals came from the penalty spot. Before England’s friendly against Uruguay during the March international break, manager Thomas Tuchel gave Palmer a stern warning about his place in the Three Lions squad:

“We will not hand anything to anyone on a silver platter.”

Palmer’s fourth Premier League hat-trick against Wolverhampton Wanderers in February gave fans a brief glimmer of hope, but Chelsea’s collapse since then has completely snuffed it out. The Blues are now on a six-game losing streak in the league. There is no longer any chance for them to finish in the top five, so the club are stuck seeking out other European competitions as consolation.

Cole Palmer’s England World Cup Hopes Hanging by a Thread

Palmer’s problems on Monday went far beyond Stamford Bridge. His spot on Thomas Tuchel’s England team for the 2026 World Cup is now looking less and less secure. Since his important equaliser in the Euro 2024 final, the Cobham graduate has only played five times for the Three Lions, with his last cap coming in October 2025 because of a series of recurring injuries.

During the March international break, Tuchel publicly questioned the Englishman’s role in his plans. He made it clear that Palmer’s spot on the plane to North America was far from certain. The German head coach has many options for the No. 10 spot, including Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Phil Foden, Eberechi Eze, and Morgan Gibbs-White, who is back in form and currently tied for the Premier League’s top scorer in 2026 with 10 goals.

As the squad announcement gets closer and the competition for the playmaker spot gets tougher, Palmer’s poor performance against Forest could be the last straw for his World Cup hopes. The 23-year-old has three more Premier League games to convince Tuchel that he should be on the plane to North America, and that seems like an impossible task before the summer tournament.