In our weekly series, chief football writer John Cross gives his latest England player ratings for Thomas Tuchel’s 2026 World Cup squad.
Cole Palmer looks like a pale shadow of the England star who lit up the Euros.
Chelsea’s playmaker is clearly far below his best and appears to be nursing an injury, making his inclusion in this summer’s World Cup squad a major concern.
Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Maheta Molango said last week that Palmer and some of his Chelsea team-mates were “devastated” by the non-stop football.
That was certainly the case when Chelsea played Arsenal on Sunday. Because Palmer was miles away from the player who was such an important figure at the last Euros.
The 23-year-old is a small player and looks quite vulnerable aside from the fact that he has been plagued by injuries this season.
Perhaps that’s not surprising. If Palmer plays in the World Cup, it will be his third consecutive summer of soccer, but that feels like too much weight.
Palmer failed to ignite the match during the London derby at the Emirates Stadium when he went to the floor in the 34th minute with no one around him.
He appears to be the most at risk from being released this summer, as manager Thomas Tuchel is limited in the number of players he can wear the number 10 shirt on a given team.
read more: Top 10 England players Tuchel should select for his 2026 World Cup squad
His teammate Reece James has also experienced injuries and non-stop football, but he actually seems to be a tenacious defender and an excellent attacking force.
Another player who really caught the eye this weekend, quite apart from Jordan Pickford’s breathtaking save to deny Sandro Tonali, was Bournemouth’s Alex Scott.
What I really like about Scott, who of course was in the England squad just three months ago, is that he’s always looking forward.
Scott is fearless on the ball, ready to run with the ball and make things happen. He looks like a very good bet in a hugely changing midfield position.
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This week’s England player ratings
There are three months left until Tuchel must select his final England squad for this summer’s World Cup, but there is intense competition for almost every position.
Here, Cross gives his latest verdict on the players selected and how likely they are to be ‘on the plane’ this summer.
You will have the opportunity to express your opinion in the article, so please participate.
Cole Palmer:
Match Rating: 5/10
Quiet and relaxing atmosphere. He is perfectly healthy and doesn’t look sharp. We couldn’t make things happen and struggled to get into the game.
Current form: 6/10
mixture. He can really boss the game and be a shining light. And then it disappears into other people. This speaks to a player who struggles to adapt, sharpen, and above all, gain confidence in his game.
England team rating: 7/10
The reason he’s holding on to seven is because I think it’s him or Phil Foden – and he’s struggling a bit too.
Cole Palmer during Chelsea’s Premier League match against Arsenal (Image: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
Reece James:
Match Rating: 8/10
The forward movement was great, especially the cross from the corner, which was sensational. However, for Arsenal’s first goal he was badly overtaken, losing Gabriel and then putting up William Saliba.
Current form: 7/10
Things are going well for Chelsea. He is extremely dangerous going forward and with Rosenior currently in charge, he feels he is far more likely to play at right-back than be drafted into the midfield. He is a good leader and captain. He is very passionate and sets the tone. England squad rating: 9/10
James is in pole position to start the World Cup as England’s right-back. A few years ago England had so many options at right-back, including Walker, Trippier, Alexander-Arnold and even Lamptey, but now James is the standout candidate in a less crowded field.
(Image: Sean Botterill/Getty Images)
Arsenal’s Declan Rice (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Eberechi Eze:
Match Rating: 6/10
This week he became human again and did some good things against Chelsea, but nothing out of the ordinary. He looked a little off the pace and was a far cry from his great performance at Tottenham last week.
Current form: 6/10
He’s had his ups and downs all season, but never more so than right now. He did well at Spurs and was subdued against Chelsea, but we don’t know what will happen next.
England team rating: 6/10
It will be difficult for Eze to feature for England this summer due to the depth of the number 10 squad, and he is not suited for a wide left role.
Eberechi Eze is frustrated with his boss (Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Bukayo Saka:
Match Rating: 6/10
He has built on what he has done at Tottenham and has been better than he has been in the last couple of months. He wasn’t as good as his starring role at Spurs, but he worked hard with the armband on.
Current form: 6/10
mixture. He was very good at Spurs and this is not surprising, just OK.
England team rating: 9/10
There is absolutely no doubt that he is in the starting lineup. He is one of England’s untouchables.
Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice celebrate the Arsenal vs. Chelsea win (Image: Getty Images)
Trevor Chalovar:
Match Rating: 7/10
Neutral observers named him Chelsea’s best centre-half because he read the game well, recognized danger and won battles with Victor Gökeres many times. Good pace and aggression. Yes, Chelsea collapsed in the corners, but overall they did well.
Current form: 6/10
He did a good job. He has shown enough ability to be in the squad, although he could definitely benefit from a regular partner in the middle of defence.
England team rating: 6/10
Tuchel has known him since his time at Chelsea, likes him and values him. I think he has a good chance.
Trevor Chalobah during the Chelsea vs Arsenal match (Image: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
Alex Scott:
Match Rating: 8/10
He never stopped working, running and looking for the ball. He’s always trying to move forward. He is brave in owning things. His performances this season have caught the attention of Tuchel and his staff, and he will be in the spotlight once again.
Current form: 7/10
He’s good, he’s reliable and that’s very noticeable and when he plays well Bournemouth play well. An important gear in the engine.
England team rating: 7/10
Coach Tuchel had previously selected him. Because he loves his job and if he finishes the season well he will have a chance.
Alex Scott playing for Bournemouth during the draw with Sunderland (Image: Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
Do you agree with John Cross? Tune in or out of the England team slider below and let us know what you think…
Full assessment of England players
Here’s John Cross’ latest assessment of each player’s chances of being selected for England (ranked out of 10)
Players are ranked by position.
goalkeeper
Jordan Pickford: 10/10 Dean Henderson 8/10 Nick Pope 6/10 James Trafford 6/10 Aaron Ramsdale 3/10
right full back
Reece James 9/10 Trent Alexander-Arnold 7/10 Rico Lewis 4/10 Ben White 2/10
left full back
Nico O’Reilly 9/10 Lewis Hall 8/10 Tino Libramento 6/10 Luke Shaw 6/10 Jed Spence 5/10 Miles Lewis-Skelly 2/10 Jack Hinshelwood 2/10
central defender
Mark Gehi 9/10 Ezri Konsa 9/10 Dan Byrne 7/10 Jarel Quansah 7/10 John Stones 6/10 Trevor Chalobah 6/10 Harry Maguire 6/10 Jarrad Branthwaite 3/10 Levi Colwill 3/10
midfielder
Declan Rice 9/10 Elliott Anderson 9/10 Jordan Henderson 9/10 Koby Mainu 7/10 Alex Scott 7/10 Curtis Jones 6/10 Adam Wharton 6/10 Morgan Gibbs-White 6/10 Conor Gallagher 4/10 Mason Mount 3/10 Ruben Loftus-Cheek 0/10
right forward
Bukayo Saka 9/10 Noni Maduke 7/10 Jarrod Bowen 7/10
left forward
Anthony Gordon 8/10 Marcus Rashford 8/10 Eberechi Eze 6/10
No.10s
Morgan Rogers 9/10 Jude Bellingham 9/10 Phil Foden 7/10 Cole Palmer 7/10
strikers
Harry Kane 10/10 Ollie Watkins 8/10 Dominic Solanke 6/10 Danny Welbeck 6/10 Dominic Calvert-Lewin 6/10 Liam Delap 4/10
