Thomas Tuchel has mastered the art of the passive-aggressive performance review, and Cole Palmer is the latest recipient. The England manager confirmed that Palmer withdrew from the current squad due to playing with "discomfort and pain," adding with the warmth of a performance review conducted via email: "He misses too many opportunities. I don't blame him for it, it is just a fact. He misses way too many camps with injuries." Tuchel also clarified that this is not load management - a phrase that has apparently been banned from the England vocabulary alongside "international break," which he insists no longer exists in his regime. Five players withdrew from the latest squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures, but Tuchel says he trusts his players and sees no culture of club over country. "Everyone is desperate to come," he said, citing captain Harry Kane, who has the most minutes in club and country but still shows up. Some teammates, apparently, are enjoying a "seven or two day break" instead. The door remains open, but the implication is that it might hit you on the way in.
Meanwhile, Harry Kane has been reflecting on the emotional toll of not winning the World Cup, because someone asked and he answered with the vulnerability of a man who has clearly been thinking about this for months. "It takes months, it takes a long time to fully get over it," he said. "You heal while you are moving on." Kane also addressed whether this is his best chance to win the Ballon d'Or, saying: "Best chance right now yeah... I think so far in my career it is the best chance without a doubt." He described last season as his best from a personal and team perspective, though he noted the award is "down to other people now" - a refreshingly honest admission that he cannot simply will individual trophies into existence, no matter how many goals he scores against Spain and Croatia.
Speaking of Spain, Kane acknowledged that the Spanish play a particular possession-based style that England players aren't taught from a young age, but insisted England have their own attributes. "It is important to have our own identity and not get caught up in other teams," he said, which is a noble sentiment until you remember England's identity has historically involved penalties and heartbreak. Kane also noted that the Nations League games against Spain and Croatia are important for momentum, asking: "Can we win the Nations League? Can we win the Euros in a couple of years?" The optimism is admirable. The history is not.
In other news, Kai Havertz has returned to Arsenal after sustaining a "muscle sprain" - specifically a hamstring problem - during Germany's 1-1 draw with the Netherlands in the Nations League on Thursday night. The German FA confirmed a scan identified the sprain, and Havertz has left Jürgen Klopp's squad. The 27-year-old was sidelined for nearly five months with a knee injury last season but has started all five of Arsenal's Premier League games so far, preferred to Viktor Gyokeres by Mikel Arteta. Arsenal are hopeful the setback isn't serious, and the forward could be available after the international break. Arsenal next host Leeds at the Emirates Stadium on 10 October.
Jude Bellingham has been named England men's player of the year for a second successive season, which is a nice reminder that people were once seriously debating whether Thomas Tuchel should take him to the World Cup. "It's a huge honour to be recognised by the fans again," Bellingham said. "It's obviously a beautiful little addition to the great summer we had." The summer in question being the one where England did not win the World Cup, but did apparently have a lovely time.
David Beckham, meanwhile, has taken a $51m (£39m) dividend from his business empire, fuelled by a series of deals with brands for the Fifa World Cup. Beckham appeared in about a dozen ad campaigns during this summer's tournament in the US, working with Lenovo, McDonald's, Bank of America, Verizon, and PepsiCo's crisps brand Lay's. The World Cup work helped fuel a record year for DRJB Holdings, the commercial company for Beckham's brands business, where revenues surged by a fifth to $110.5m last year, from $92.3m in 2024. Pre-tax profits climbed to a record $65.7m, a 46% increase on 2024. So while England's players were healing from World Cup disappointment, Beckham was healing his bank balance.
In other football news, Slovenia manager Bostjan Cesar has come out in support of Benjamin Šeško after Wayne Rooney criticised the Manchester United player for his "little stupid shinpads." Šeško is currently sidelined with a shin injury, which is either ironic or poetic depending on your perspective. "If you play for a club like Manchester United, these things come with the territory," Cesar said. "When he was fit and scoring goals, there were none of these criticisms." A sentiment that applies to roughly every footballer who has ever existed.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente shared a story about the aftermath of Spain's World Cup final win on 19 July, when one of his longest-serving players asked: "Mister, now what? What's left to win?" De la Fuente replied: "Bloody hell, the game against England at Wembley on 26 September." Of the 26-man World Cup squad, only four were left out: Marcos Llorente has retired from international football, Joan García is injured, Borja Iglesias is not fully fit, and Gavi is suspended for Wembley. Meanwhile, the Netherlands have called up Joshua Zirkzee as cover after Brian Brobbey was injured against Germany.
And finally, in the category of things nobody asked for but everyone secretly enjoys, a reader emailed with a Taylor Swift reference about Sheffield United's trophy cabinet being "just a Blank Space," while another correspondent noted that Arsenal's financial constraints relative to "petro-teams" make success "sweeter than fiction." The England manager and captain are due to speak this afternoon before the Lions take on Spain tomorrow, so we can all look forward to more carefully worded statements about availability, identity, and the importance of showing up.