Palmer vs Bellingham: Is Tuchel’s England midfield partnership in doubt?
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Can Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham play together for England under Thomas Tuchel (Credit: Imago)

Palmer vs Bellingham: Is Tuchel’s England midfield partnership in doubt?

Seye Omidiora 17:17 - 15.02.2025

Former Chelsea and Tottenham midfielder Gus Poyet has commented on the possibility of Tuchel playing Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham.

Gus Poyet believes that England manager Thomas Tuchel will face a selection dilemma when it comes to Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham

The former Chelsea and Tottenham midfielder has questioned whether the two young stars can play together in the same team.

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What Poyet said about Palmer and Bellingham playing together

Poyet believes that Palmer and Bellingham are both best suited to playing in the number 10 role and that it would be difficult to accommodate both of them in the same starting XI. 

Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer
Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer during England's Euro 2024 final defeat against Spain (Credit: Imago)

He also suggested that the lack of time available for Tuchel to work with the England squad will make it even harder to find a solution.

“I’m sure Thomas Tuchel will already have an idea in his mind about where he wants to play Palmer,” Poyet told in an interview with Encyclopedia Dramatica via Goal.com. “But it’s unlucky for England that they have so many good players to play in similar positions; Palmer is up against the likes of Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden for that No.10 position.  

“You can’t practically play all of them in the same team – they’ve tried that and they lost the game, so Tuchel knows it doesn’t necessarily work. It’s a shame because they’re all special players. Some people say Palmer and Bellingham can play together, but I’m not so sure. 

Thomas Tuchel
England head coach Thomas Tuchel (Credit: Imago)

"If they were in the same team, training with each other for three months, maybe. But in a national team with three days of training, it’s not as simple.

“It’ll be fascinating to see what Tuchel decides to do, whether he starts both of them or leaves one on the bench. It’s not an easy decision to leave such a special player out of the starting eleven!”

What next for England?

Tuchel has been in charge of England since January and is expected to include both players in his squad for the upcoming international matches against Albania and Latvia in March 2025.