Cole Palmer has not been included in Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad for the upcoming international break.

The Chelsea star has once again been omitted from the squad for the final two Nations League fixtures, with England set to face Croatia at Wembley before travelling to Spain over the next fortnight.

Fulham’s Josh King appears to have moved ahead of Palmer in the pecking order, earning a place in the 26-man squad, while Jobe Bellingham has joined his brother Jude in the selection. If Palmer still harbours ambitions of securing a regular place in the England squad, this latest omission will come as a bitter blow for Chelsea’s number 10.

Palmer has registered three goals and three assists in his nine appearances, with his 50th goal for Chelsea coming last weekend. By comparison, Josh King has scored twice and provided one assist in the same number of appearances.

Reports had suggested that Palmer could be included in the squad, particularly after the English attacking midfielder was assessed by England’s medical staff. They had remained in close contact with Chelsea to monitor his fitness and determine his availability for the upcoming camp.

The ongoing communication suggested that Palmer remained firmly in England’s plans, with Tuchel still considering him a potential option for the squad. He joins another technically gifted midfielder, Phil Foden, in missing out on the latest selection.

We had earlier predicted that he would miss out on the England squad despite his decent form, outlining the reasons why he might not deserve another opportunity so soon after withdrawing from the previous squad.

Morgan Rogers is the only Chelsea representative in the squad, with Josh Acheampong also missing out despite his impressive form at right-back this season. Reece James is absent through injury, as is Chelsea target Alex Scott.

England Squad

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Jason Steele, James Trafford.

Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite, Marc Guehi, Lewis Hall, Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah, Djed Spence, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ben White.

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson, Jobe Bellingham, Jude Bellingham, James Garner, Josh King, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Declan Rice.

Forwards: Harry Kane, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Eberechi Eze, Morgan Gibbs-White, Anthony Gordon, Rio Ngumoha, Morgan Rogers