We knew it - Chelsea boss backs Cole Palmer after England World Cup snub

Chelsea interim manager Calum McFarlane has thrown his full support behind Cole Palmer following the midfielder’s shock omission from England’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The England international was one of the biggest names excluded from Thomas Tuchel’s final 26-man squad.

Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s final Premier League match of the season against Sunderland, McFarlane insisted the club remains fully confident in Palmer despite the disappointment of missing out on the tournament.

Chelsea head into the final weekend of the season hoping to salvage something positive from a difficult campaign.

The Blues recently ended a seven-match Premier League winless run with a narrow 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.

McFarlane admitted the season has been challenging both physically and mentally but expressed gratitude for the opportunity to lead the team during a turbulent period.

“It has been a great learning experience and a massive challenge. I’m really thankful to the club for the opportunity and to the players. We knew it would be a challenge physically and mentally, and we pushed as hard as we could,” McFarlane said.

The interim boss also praised the players for their effort against Tottenham despite fatigue from a congested fixture schedule.

“We were good value for the 1-0 lead. We got the second goal but didn’t have much more push. That’s not how we want the game to look, but two or three days after the final, you could see the effects from that game,” he added.

McFarlane highlighted the role Chelsea supporters played during the victory over Spurs, describing the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge as one of the best he has experienced since joining the first-team setup.

He added, “Stamford Bridge was brilliant, it’s probably the best atmosphere I’ve seen since being in the first team.

“It comes from us when we start games right, which we didn’t do in the Forest game. It helps so much for us.”

Attention quickly shifted to Palmer’s reaction after being left out of England’s World Cup plans, but McFarlane avoided criticising Tuchel’s decision while making it clear Chelsea still believes strongly in the midfielder.

“I don’t want to comment on that, it’s not got anything to do with me. The England manager has made a decision, so it’s best to speak to him. We have full belief in Cole, and we will be relying on him on Sunday,” McFarlane explained.

McFarlane also encouraged Palmer to use the disappointment as motivation moving forward.

He added, “I think in life and in football, you need to take every setback as a positive. There’s going to be lots of them, moments like this. If you have the right mindset, you can turn it into a positive.”

The interim manager noted that the squad’s morale during training remained high despite the emotional impact of England’s squad announcement.

“The England announcement was made at 10 am, we haven’t had time to speak or get a feel for the group. Training was really good. I’m sure we’ll have those conversations in the coming days and see how they are,” he revealed.

Sunday’s clash against Sunderland is expected to be McFarlane’s final game in charge before Xabi Alonso officially takes over as Chelsea manager this summer.