Cole Palmer sent home from international duty with injury

Chelsea winger Cole Palmer has been sent home early from international duty with England’s Under-21 squad over a minor injury concern.

Palmer, who has started to find his feet for Chelsea since a £45m deadline day move from Manchester City, captained the Young Lions for their European Championship qualifier against Serbia on Thursday. But he suffered a dead leg and was withdrawn inside an hour.

Instead of waiting to be assessed ahead of facing Ukraine in another qualifier on Monday evening, the decision from the coaching staff was that Palmer should return home straightaway. That falls in line with the no-risk policy employed by the team and is arguably also beneficial to Chelsea.

“We could’ve kept Cole here another day and see how it was, but we didn’t think it was right,” England Under-21 coach Lee Carsley explained.

“I think Cole would be fine [for Ukraine] but we don’t take any chances with any of the players. If there’s a slight doubt that they’re going to miss a [club] game at the weekend, we get them back to the clubs as quickly as we can.”

Palmer’s early return to Chelsea will allow him greater recovery time ahead of the club’s next Premier League game against Arsenal on Saturday 21 October.

The 21-year-old scored the first Premier League goal of his career in Chelsea’s last match – a win over Burnley – and was beginning to establish himself as a starter prior to the international break.

“It has surprised me a bit but I know my own ability,” Palmer recently said of his first six weeks as a Chelsea player. “I knew that if I hit the ground running, I’d have a chance and obviously make an impact. That’s why I went [to Chelsea]. I thought I could break in.

“It’s been hectic but that’s good, moving down [to London from Manchester] was a big change. I was in a hotel for a couple of weeks and then I got my own place. It is new and difficult…I don’t know how to do most things on my own so I’m learning.”